Aftereffects
by Insanity 101
Summary: There's something wrong with Robin, and it looks like Raven's the only titan who can help him. Picks up where the episode Haunted left off. Batman Begins crossover.
1. Encounters

"We've got things covered here, why don't you get some rest?", said Cyborg, looking at Robin with concern.

"Sounds like a good idea", Robin replied, giving a little smile to, hopefully, reassure his friends. He knew he would not be sleeping tonight.

Robin stumbled down the hallway, finally reaching his bedroom door. He opened it, turned on the light, and headed straight for his bed. He was exhausted, every part of his body ached from bruises and stung from cuts, and his head was throbbing fit to burst. Cyborg had made him take some Extra Strength Tylenol, the only thing he was willing to accept, but it was having no affect.

Robin thought briefly about turning off the light and trying to get some sleep, but he dismissed this idea with a shudder.

"Coward!" He berated himself for his fear, his weakness. "Cyborg says your fine now. What are you so afraid of?"

Robin knew the answer to that question, but it was the last thing he wanted to think about right now.

He caught himself staring nervously at his closet door. "Great! What's next, you going to check under the bed?" He felt trapped, helpless.

"That's it!", he said aloud, noticing how strange his voice sounded in the utter silence of his room. Jumping off the bed with a groan, he headed for the nearest exit, tripping over a huge stack of papers on his way out. He opened the door…and there was Starfire, fist raised as though she had been about to knock.

"Eep!"

"Star!", Robin yelled, as his heart and stomach switched places. "I- what are you-?"

Even in the dark, Robin could tell she was blushing. "I…was feeling the anxiety for your well-being, friend Robin. I thought I should perhaps do the checking up on you…"

"Great…now she thinks I've lost my mind", he thought bitterly, trying to remember exactly what had been said while he was…earlier that evening. "Oh…", he said awkwardly. Star was staring at him with such intensity that he wondered if she was trying to examine his soul.

"Now I see that you are not at all right", she said sadly. "Robin, you must not-"

"And here comes the lecture." He was feeling more and more angry, though he was vaguely aware that it was not Starfire's fault. "I'm fine, Star", he said, a little more harshly than he had intended to. Robin could see that she was hurt, but that didn't bother him as much as it should have.

"Oh…I see." She looked pleadingly at him once more, but he avoided her eyes. "Robin…please rest well…" When he didn't answer, she slowly turned and walked towards her bedroom door. She glanced back when she reached it, but Robin was gone.

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It was cold up on the roof. The breeze nipped at exposed noses and ears, as though to remind everyone that summer was drawing to a close. Not that anyone in their right mind would be outside at three o'clock in the morning…

Robin stared out over the city that he risked his life every day to protect. He shivered slightly, not so much from the cool breeze as from the cold inside him.

"Don't think about it, don't think about it…" He chuckled; ironically, this was the first time that he had tried not to think. The laugh died quickly…Robin sat with his knees drawn up to his chin, wishing he could ask Raven how to make his mind a perfect blank…And then, as though he had summoned her…

"Isn't it a little past your bedtime?", came an even, monotone voice from behind him.

Robin spun around to see Raven staring at him. She looked tired, and why wouldn't she be? It had been a horrific night for all of them. "What are you-"

"Your emotions have been keeping me awake", she replied, without waiting for Robin to finish his sentence. He was shivering, but Raven knew better than to try to get him to come inside. She could tell that, right now, Robin wanted to be cold.

Her statement made him slightly uncomfortable. He stared down at his feet.

Raven smiled slightly. "Great, now you're afraid, angry, and embarrassed. Looks like I can forget about sleeping tonight."

Robin knew she was trying to be funny, a rare event indeed, but instead of laughing, he felt the lump in his throat get even bigger. He gulped, and continued to study his shoes, wishing she would go away.

"Well, that's nice", said Raven, dripping sarcasm. "I was only trying to help, but it looks like you're not interested, so I'll grant your wish." She turned and headed for the roof access door.

Once again, Robin felt hardly any remorse for offending Raven; fact was, he didn't feel much at all right now. Or, at least, that was what he was trying for.

Raven looked back when she reached the door. He looked pitiful, curled up and shivering at the edge of the roof… "Edge of the roof", she thought, and fear crept up her spine. "I better not leave him just yet."

She walked quietly back over to Robin, placing a hand on his shoulder. He jerked away, fiercely wiping something off his cheek. Raven almost winced at the emotional pain Robin was experiencing. For once, she didn't know what to say.

"So here's the part where you say 'this obsession with Slade is unhealthy, Robin, you've endangered yourself and us many times because of it, Robin, chill, stop freaking out, let it go, calm down!'" He breathed heavily for a minute. "Have I forgotten anything?"

"You didn't mention therapy", Raven said, automatically.

Robin scowled. "Great, well, now I've taken care of the lecture for you, so why don't you go back to bed?"

"I would, trust me, if I didn't care about whether or not you throw yourself off the roof in desperation."

Robin flinched. He really needed to be more careful about what he thought around her. "I didn't mean…I wasn't serious!"

"Right", she said sarcastically. "Well then, if you weren't serious, why don't we go inside? You look like you could use a blanket."

There was no arguing with that. Robin tried to get up, but the combination of a battered body and sitting on a cold, hard rooftop for an hour had done a number on him. He fell back down with a groan.

Raven hurried over to him and extended her hand. He took it without looking at her, and she helped him inside.

"I'm fine now", Robin said gruffly, once they were inside. He let go of her arm, but the instant he did, swayed and nearly fell again. Raven forcibly reclaimed his arm.

"Alright, tough guy", she said, "where to?"

"My room, I guess", he grumbled, still not looking at her. Raven made him uncomfortable in a way Starfire never had. He didn't think much on this, though, since his mind was already far too busy with other things.

Robin punched in the access code and his door slid open. Raven flicked on the light, and saw that his room was just as she had imagined it: messy.

Robin turned red as he fully realized what a disaster site his bedroom was. Crumbled papers littered the floor, and his crime files were piled high in various places all around the room. There were two or three pizza boxes lying in corners that he just hadn't gotten around to throwing out yet, and his bed was a tangle of blankets and pillows that looked more like a nest than anything else. To top it all off, the single, dying light bulb illuminated four walls covered in various newspaper articles, most of which featured Slade's single, glaring eye. Even Raven, whose bedroom was far from cheery, was creeped out by this room. She wondered how Robin could stand having Slade constantly watching him.

"Love what you've done with the place", she said dryly.

Robin blushed even more as she helped him over to his bed, somehow managing to avoid the various obstacles on the way. He eased himself down on the bed.

Raven sat down next to him, feeling a little more than awkward. "Why do you bother trying to talk to him, anyway?" she asked herself, exasperated. "That's easy", she answered herself, "Because I'm the only one who can."

"So…anything you want to talk about?", she asked, knowing what the answer would be.

"No", said Robin instantly. Raven just wouldn't understand.

"I understand a lot more than you give me credit for." She smiled a little, watching him jump. No matter how many times she pulled that stunt, Robin was still unnerved. He said nothing and tried to clear his mind as well: a huge failure.

Raven sighed. "I might as well be bashing my head against a brick wall. What can I say to him?", she thought desperately, knowing that, no matter how much he denied it, Robin needed someone right now, and that someone was going to be her.

"It's going to be ok." Pitiful, but it was all she could think of.

Robin didn't snap at her, didn't throw her efforts to help him back in her face. Instead, to his horror, he felt his eyes begin to burn, and the lump in his throat choked him. Worst of all, there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

Raven's eyes widened. Was he…? She almost cried herself when she felt the ripples of his emotions. Robin turned his face away form her, ashamed but unable to stop the tears. He didn't pull away when he felt her take his hand and squeeze it. Before he knew what he was doing, he had pulled her into a hug. Raven was shocked; she had never seen Robin like this…She patted his back awkwardly, hardly knowing how to deal with this kind of thing from anyone, much less Robin.

"Thank you", he whispered, breaking up the hug.

Raven smiled genuinely. "You're welcome." Robin was drooping like a wilted plant, on the point of falling asleep on his feet. Raven gently pushed him back onto his bed, and Robin didn't resist.

"Good night", she whispered.

"Night", he mumbled, eyes already closing.

Raven made her way to the door and reached for the light switch.

"Raven?", Robin said, looking at her from his bed.

"What?"

"Would you leave the light on?" There was a slight quiver in his voice.

"Sure", she replied, shutting the door behind her. Why? Why did Robin have to go through all this? What had he done to deserve Slade? At the thought of Robin's tormentor, a rare anger flared inside Raven. There was no one she wanted dead more than that psychopath.


	2. Voices

Everyone was tired the next morning. Cyborg, Starfire, and Raven were gathered around the table, trying to choke down dry bread with some peanut butter smeared on it: the only food available for breakfast.

Beast Boy showed up in the kitchen at 12:30 in the afternoon, and began happily whipping up some tofu eggs.

"Wait a sec…Robin's not up yet?", he asked, finally noticing his leader's absence.

"Nope", grunted Cyborg.

"You mean…I'm up before…? Maybe I should go back to bed!", he said, almost seriously.

"Wondrous, Beast Boy! You have recovered from your sneezing illness!", exclaimed Star in her usual perky, over cheerful tone.

"Yep! Er…I mean no…I feel terrible, Star", he groaned, holding his stomach. "I really don't think I feel up to doing the dishes today…", he coughed pitifully.

"If you're feeling so terrible, Beast Boy, we should make an appointment with Dr. Brown right away. I'm sure she can give you a nice shot that will clear it up in no time", said Raven dryly.

Beast Boy turned a pale green, yelling, "NO! Er…Would you look at that? Miraculously cured!"

"Right", said Raven, rolling her eyes.

When Robin still hadn't appeared at 1:00, Raven started feeling anxious and decided to check on him. If he was still asleep, it was a miracle; the sounds of Cyborg and Beast Boy fighting over some stupid game drifted into the hallway as Raven made her way to the door marked "Robin". She had casually watched Robin type in his access code, and with a little effort, she remembered it: 102945760. Raven rolled her eyes. Only a para...someone like Robin would have a nine-number access code. The door slid open, and she immediately noticed that the light was still on. Robin was asleep; lying in the same position she had left him in the night before. He looked terrible: he hadn't bothered to change out of his torn and dirty uniform, and all the bruises Slade had given him had had time to develop; he was black and blue.

Raven was so distracted by this that, at first, she didn't notice what Robin was holding in his hand. It was a piece of paper, no, a photograph of- Raven's eyes widened. She put the picture back and hurried out of Robin's room.

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BANG, BANG, BANG!

Robin groaned, his eyes squeezed shut in a desperate attempt to stay asleep.

"Yo Robin! Wake up!"

It was Beast Boy. Eyes still closed, Robin reached down, took off his shoe, and chucked it at the door. It produced a satisfying bang, and Robin heard Beast Boy shriek and take off down the hallway.

"Well that was easy." His stomach growled loudly. "I wonder if I've missed breakfast." Finally opening his eyes, he stared blearily at the clock on his nightstand. "4:30!?! No way!" He tried to jump out of bed but fell back, holding his ribs, his head pounding. He got up, carefully this time, and hobbled out the door.

"Hey Ro….bin." Cy's voice died as he got a good look at his leader. "Dude, are you ok?"

Robin felt anything but "ok" at that moment. "Just peachy", he mumbled, and stumbled off towards the kitchen.

Starfire was cheerfully telling Raven all about a teddy bear that she bought at the mall. Raven was reading, apparently oblivious to the fact that Star was talking to her.

Robin dragged himself over to the fridge, his stomach growling loudly again.

Star looked up when she heard him come in. "Robin!", she gasped, her eyes wide. Robin just continued to search the fridge. "You look…painful", she said, still gaping at him.

"Thanks", he replied, sarcastic bite in his voice, "same to you." He wasn't quite sure why he was being rude to Star, unless it had something to do with his throbbing body or his aching head.

Starfire, fortunately, didn't catch the jab. "You are…not feeling well?", she asked timidly, afraid that if she spoke too loudly, Robin would break.

"Oh, no, Star. I feel just great!", he said while making five peanut butter sandwiches.

"You do?, said Star, shocked. "But-"

"It's called sarcasm, Star. You should look it up sometime", snapped Robin, grabbing the sandwiches and limping out of the room.

"Robin, wait!", she called out, preparing to fly after him.

Raven reached up and grabbed Star's foot. "Let him go", she said firmly.

"But…did you not see him? He looks so…"

"You should have been prepared for this. Slade nearly killed Robin last night. What did you expect?", asked Raven, exasperated at Star's…naivety.

Tears were welling up in Starfire's bright green eyes. "Oh, why won't he let me aid him? I tried to speak with him last night but he…'threw it in my face'."

"He just needs some time alone, Starfire. He'll come around in a day or two."…"I hope", she added mentally.

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Robin had lost his appetite. He stared down at the unreasonable amount of food in front of him, but his mind wasn't on sandwiches.

"Slade got you again, didn't he? You're still not good enough", said a sly voice in his head. Robin tried to block the voice, but it was persistent. "You might as well just end it now. What's the use of living when your life revolves around death? Next time he will kill you, Robin. Next time, there will be no escape."

"NO!", Robin screamed. "Get out! Leave me alone!"

There was a knock on his door. Robin jumped, breathing heavily.

"I should at least pretend that I don't know his access code", thought Raven as she knocked again. "Robin?"

Robin limped over to the door and opened it. "What?", he asked roughly, still thinking about what had just occured. Things like this had happened before, but never…

"Oh I don't know, maybe the fact that you were screaming five seconds ago?" She doubted that Robin would tell her of his own free will, so she allowed her mind to reach out to his, feeling for recent thoughts or images.

Robin didn't even have the energy to lie. If he was going to tell her anything, however, he didn't want an audience. He stepped aside, sweeping his hand inward.

"Well that's a surprise", thought Raven as she stepped inside. She continued to probe his mind, however. "Is everything alright?", she asked, reaching out and touching his arm.

Pain and a flash of images shot through Raven's mind…Slade, Robin crouched on the floor, maniacal laughter…It was all over in a matter of seconds. Raven blinked, trying to clear her head.

"Raven, are you ok?", asked Robin, staring at her in concern.

Raven stared back at him, unsure of how to interpret what she had just seen. Was Slade really back? Was he going to attack Robin again? No, somehow that wasn't it. She had felt strangely as though Slade was already here, as thought the danger lay within Robin himself. But…Cyborg had said that Robin was fine now…

"Raven, can you hear me?", asked Robin, a hint of fear in his voice. He was reminded of another time when something like this had happened, only then it had involved Terra.

Raven snapped out of her trance, still unsure of what to tell Robin… then she remembered his screams, and her fear intensified. "Robin, you have to tell me what happened."

Confused, Robin stared blankly at her.

"Why were you screaming?", she asked again, hoping against hope that he would just tell her. She couldn't risk probing his mind again; if something was controlling Robin, entering his mind could allow it to take over her as well, leaving her powerless to help Robin.

Robin felt sick; he had forgotten what had happened out of fear for Raven. Should he tell her? He could see by the urgent look in her eyes that she knew something he didn't… "Something about me?", he wondered. He opened his mouth to tell her, but quickly shut it again. She would tell the others, and before he knew it, he would be strapped to a hospital bed again.

"I stepped on a thumbtack", he replied smoothly. "Didn't mean to yell so loud. Sorry for scaring you." Robin knew it was a stupid lie, but it was the best he had at the moment.

Raven sighed deeply. He was just determined to keep her from helping him. Why? "I see", she replied. Time for a little guilt trip. "I'm so glad you trust me so much, Robin. It means a lot to me", she said, as sincerely as she could manage.

Robin turned slightly red. He knew she knew he was lying, but he was not going to crack. A repetition of last night's events sounded less than fun to him right now. "Well, if that's all you needed…", he said, motioning towards the door.

Raven blinked; it had always worked for Starfire. Knowing full well that she was being kicked out, she headed straight for the door and left without looking back.

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"Cyborg", said Raven, trying and failing to get his attention. "Cyborg!"

"Huh, what?", he mumbled without looking up from the game. Beast Boy was doing unusually well, and Cyborg knew that if he relaxed at all, BB would have a very good chance of winning.

"Do you think it's possible that whatever Robin inhaled last night might have some sort of…aftereffect?", she asked, voicing her fear.

"Huh? You mean other than a bunch o' bruises and cuts? I guess it's possible…Why?", he asked suspiciously, looking up from his paddle.

Beast Boy seized his chance. While Cyborg was distracted, Beast Boy blew up the half-robot's race craft, thus, automatically winning the game. Cyborg's face fell, and all thoughts of Robin were driven out of his mind as Beast Boy did a victory dance on the coffee table.

Raven, who was pretty sure that she wouldn't get anything else out of Cyborg, headed for her room; she needed to think.

"It's possible" was not exactly the answer she had been looking for. She needed to know, solidly, if there were aftereffects, what these aftereffects were, and, most importantly, how to deal with them. Cyborg hadn't given her anything that she didn't already have.

"You don't have anything to go on", she thought. "You don't even know exactly what's been going on. Maybe you're imagining all this, maybe there really is nothing wrong…"

As much as she would like to, Raven couldn't believe that. Her vision must have meant something, she had definitely not imagined what she had seen…

"You do realize that, if you are correct, the most dangerous thing you could possibly do is leave Robin alone?", spoke Intelligence, an emotion that she had not paid much attention to of late.

Raven gasped, shocked at how stupid she had been. She was racing down the hall, racing against the time that had been lost… "Please be there, please be there…", she chanted over and over again. Not bothering to type in the access code, Raven opened a portal in the wall and passed through it into Robin's room.

"Empty." Fear was choking her…She hated fear… "Let go of all emotion. Being afraid and angry will not save Robin. Focus…"

She was jumping to conclusions. Robin could be anywhere in the tower, there was nothing to suggest that he was gone…

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_So, what do you think so far? Let me know what I can do to improve :)_

_-Dusty_


	3. Alone in the Dark

_All right, yall. Dusty speaking. First of all, let me give a shout-out to everyone who reviewed._

_FoureyedRae: I'm glad that Raven is sounding good…I'm having a lot of fun writing her…sarcasm is great!_

_Nevermoretheraven: I'm really glad you like it. I'll try and put in some more flashbacks if I make any other references to Haunted. Thanks so much for the review!_

_Harei: LOL no it's not a one-shot. I thought that showing Robin in a vulnerable position would give people a new perspective, let them see a different side to our fearless leader. Hope it didn't come out sounding cheesy._

_Jillian Augusta: Thanks, I'm really glad you're enjoying it. I was seriously considering writing a sequel… suppose it just depends on how aftereffects ends ;)_

_Febreese: Thanks, I'm really glad you liked it. I'll be sure to swing by and drop you a line._

_Blah: Wow, I'm really glad you're enjoying it. Thanks for the review :) _

_Wickedwitch9: Thanks for reading, I'm glad you like it._

_Ok, once more thank you for your input! Keep it up! And now, on with the story!_

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"Why am I here? What's going on?" The pounding in his head blocked out any reasonable thought. He could hardly see his surroundings….everything was dark and blurred, twisted, shifting and swirling before his very eyes.

"What's happening to me?" He was lost and alone in the dark… "Dark…Slade…", and with that thought, the darkness became complete.

"Perfect", came a chilling voice from the shadows.

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Raven performed a thorough search of Titan's Tower, from the rooftop to the basement. No Robin.

"Don't panic. Fear is the enemy of successful action. You must remain in control." She asked each of her fellow titans if they had seen the masked hero since he had first emerged from his bedroom; none of them had.

"Ok, Raven. Focus, how can you find Robin?" "Communicator", she mumbled, reaching for hers. "Bingo", she muttered, staring at a tiny bleeping "R" on the screen.

Five minutes later, she was standing in a dark, musty alleyway. According to her communicator, Robin should be…just…here.

"Nothing", she said, stepping forward. She gasped, staring down at her foot. "Brilliant", she groaned, identifying the thing she had stepped on as Robin's communicator. A quick search of the surrounding area produced Robin's utility belt, retractable bo-staff, and cape.

"He wouldn't just leave these behind", she thought. "But there's no sign of a struggle…This place looks like it's hardly been touched in years." Her eyebrows drew together. This just wasn't making sense. All Raven knew was that she had to find Robin, fast.

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"Now then, Robin. I think it's time for some further testing. **Stand**." Slade's voice changed as he uttered the last word; his tone was commanding, and every letter was pronounced perfectly.

Robin's limp body slowly stood, and his eyes fluttered open.

"Excellent", said Slade, chuckling with sadistic pleasure. "**Come to me**", he commanded, in the same tone he had used before.

Robin slowly walked towards his worst nightmare. He stood before Slade, shoulders hunched and head tilted downward.

"We must not have secrets among friends, Robin. **Remove your mask**."

Robin's hands made there way haltingly up to the mask, pulling it off. Slade reached out and tilted Robin's head upward until their eyes met. Slade stared, captivated in spite of himself. Robin's eyes, though dull and somewhat empty at the moment, were still exceptional. Gray, green, and blue existed simultaneously in those eyes, swirling together in a color that Slade, at a loss for a name, could only call hazel.

The moment was gone in a matter of seconds. Slade's eye glared down at the impertinent youth who had dared to defy him. A metal-gloved hand swung back and slapped Robin with all the force its owner could muster. Robin's body slammed into the wall, sliding limply to the ground.

Slade quickly regained his composure. "This has been quite enjoyable, Robin, but I think I would prefer more of a challenge. **Wake**!", he ordered.

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A close look at the alley floor revealed a trail of footprints in the dirt and scum. Raven was surprised to see that this dark, narrow space was not so much an alley as a tunnel that sloped ever downwards. The footprints continued, close together and slightly smeared in places, as though their owner had been stumbling and shuffling along. Raven had a pretty good idea of who the footprints belonged to, and she felt slightly comforted knowing that, at least while in this alleyway, Robin was alive. Very, very slightly comforted.

"Please be ok, please be ok", she chanted over and over again in her head as the tunnel got colder, damper and farther underground.

"Would you be this worried if Starfire went missing? Would you go this far to rescue her?", whispered Doubt in her ear.

"What are you talking about? Of course I would!", Raven argued back, but Doubt had gotten to her. Why was she so concerned about Robin's safety? "He's my leader, my friend…", thought Raven, with less conviction this time.

"Come on, Ray. You know it's more than that!", said Happy teasingly. Raven felt a blush coming on, something that had never been known to improve her mood.

"I kinda need to concentrate here, so would you all just Shut Up?", she thought, irritated.

Her head hit something solid, and Raven jumped back, dazed. The tunnel had ended in a door. Raven stared at it for a moment, mentally preparing herself for whatever lay behind it. Then, with a deep breath, she reached forward, and turned the handle…That is, she would have turned it, had the door not been locked.

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Robin's world was spinning, twisting, whirling. His head throbbed insanely, almost blinding him. Robin clutched his stomach, wondering if he was going to be sick.

"Ah, Robin. Good to see you", said Slade pleasantly, as though they were old friends at a community social.

Robin whipped his head around, but immediately shut his eyes as the room spun faster and his head throbbed even worse. He dry-heaved; not having eaten anything all day, there was nothing to get rid of. A foot came out of nowhere, kicking him hard in the ribs. Robin curled in on himself, his head cradled in his hands.

Slade chuckled. "You and I are going to have a lot of fun."

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Raven focused her energy on the door, chanting, "Azarath Metrion Xinthos!" The door was lifted off its hinges and set down as quietly as possible. She had no idea what she was facing, so stealth seemed to be the best plan.

Raven sighed as she saw that the door revealed yet another long, dark tunnel.

Pain shot through her body, but it was not her's, it was Robin's. The pain stopped after a few seconds, but Raven was still breathing heavily. She had to find Robin.

Raven flew down the tunnel, pushing for more speed…She was racing time, and her instincts told her that she was losing.

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Slade pulled Robin up by the front of his already ripped uniform. "You look as if you had a rough night, Robin. Anything I can do to help?", he asked courteously, punching Robin in the face.

Robin screamed, slumping on the ground. The pain in his head was so intense that he felt as though his entire body was screaming in agony. He was no longer aware of his surroundings, although he could still hear Slade's voice echoing in his head.

"You feel a little warm, Robin", said Slade, kneeling and taking Robin's head in his hands. "Is there anything I can get for you?" He slammed his head into the concrete floor. The impact made his nose bleed, and stars erupted in front of his eyes. He wasn't sure why, but something was telling him to stay awake. Easier said than done.

"You really should have cleaned up those cuts, Robin", droned Slade, kicking him across the room. "You could get an infection", he said, kicking Robin again.

Robin stared up at Slade, his eyes unfocused, shaking uncontrollably. His body was curled up into a ball in a feeble effort to protect himself.

Slade grabbed Robin by the arm and dragged him effortlessly over to a large supercomputer, into which was built a fairly small device, which had a lens at its center.

"Say cheese", said Slade maliciously, holding Robin in front of the lens. A blinding flash of light went off in Robin's eyes, making his head ache even worse.

"Now, Robin, I think our little play date is drawing to a close."

Robin heard Slade's words as though through a badly tuned radio. Every part of his body was screaming for release...

Slade threw him into a wall, catching him as he fell and slamming him into the ground. "That should do it", thought Slade. Somehow, this wasn't as enjoyable as it should have been. "I won't kill him, not yet…not until I've had my fun." Slade kicked Robin again, this time to test his state of consciousness. There was no response from the so-called "Boy Wonder". Slade smirked, staring hungrily at the broken youth.

Robin was slipping…everything, even the pain, was fading out…And then he heard something, something that echoed crystal-clear in every chamber of his mind. "I'm coming, Robin! Hold on!"

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"Door…CRUD, it's locked!", Raven yelled mentally, stooping to a level of slang that she rarely, if ever, visited. She took her mind off of Robin long enough to dispose of the annoying obstacle, and then immediately returned it to him. She knew that Robin was in this very room, but his emotional signature was so weak that he might have been miles away.

She wanted to fly into that room and throw caution to the winds, but her experience in such situations would not allow her to. Instead, she shifted into her shadow bird form, creeping forward in the dark areas of the large room.

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"I imagine it's all going dark now, isn't it, Robin?", whispered Slade venomously, forcing Robin to look at him. Amazingly, Robin's eyes were still open, but they were glazed over and Slade could tell that those eyes weren't seeing much at all right now. "Horrible things lurk in the dark, don't they, Robin? They're always there, just waiting to reach out and grab you with Death's ice cold fingers." His voice was like poison, seeping into Robin's veins and chilling him to the bone.

"Oh, and before I forget", said Slade, conversationally, reaching into a compartment of his utility belt and extracting a syringe and a small vial. He stuck the needle into the vial, slowly drawing out the clear liquid inside it. He then jabbed Robin's arm, injecting the strange substance into the unsuspecting, and mostly unconscious, hero.

Slade was suddenly surrounded by a black aura. Next thing he knew, he was being repeatedly slammed into the wall. Quickly recovering from his unpleasant surprise, Slade broke free from Raven's power and stood firmly on the ground once more.

"Oh look. It's one of Robin's little friends. I was beginning to think you wanted to get rid of him when none of you came to collect him. I'm afraid you'll find it's too late now. Far too late." Slade was fairly sure that Robin was still alive, but he wanted to see this girl suffer for a while.

"Shut up, scum!", Raven screamed, hurling a large chunk of the concrete wall at the masked lunatic.

"Another time, perhaps", said Slade, seemingly disappearing into thin air. The rock crashed pointlessly into the ground where Slade had been standing.

Breathing heavily, Raven searched the room for Robin, cringing at the thought of what she might see.

"No!" She tried to scream, but all that came out was a hoarse whisper. He was lying in a heap, face down, unmoving. Raven was frozen, unable to move, unable to think... He was gone.


	4. Holding On

_Ok, shout-outs, reviewers, you know the drill._

_Niki Dee: Wow, thanks for all the emotional support! I can really feel the love, girl! :P_

_Nevermoretheraven: Nice background music, I should have you do that for me all the time! :)_

_Kate Van Helsing: Sorry for that horrible cliffhanger, I didn't really think about how mean it was. You'll soon find out if Robin's alive, and as for kissing scenes, those really depend on his survival lol. Unfortunately, I know practically nothing about Batman and Robin that doesn't pertain to Teen Titans. I would love to be educated though, so feel free to tell me about stuff. Sounds like an interesting theory about Two-Face._

_All righty then, lets get this show on the road!_

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"No, no! Robin, wake up!" It was an order, not a request. A black tentacle of power curled towards the supercomputer, destroying its screen in one blast.

Raven was kneeling next to the fallen wonder, trying desperately to harness her emotions. She reached out, touching Robin's bare arm, but immediately pulled back, shocked. Instead of the ice cold she had been expecting, his skin was burning hot.

"But then…does that mean…?" Raven reached out and gently turned Robin over, taking his wrist and feeling for a pulse. "Come on!" She moved her finger slightly to the right…and felt it: a pulse, very weak, but still there. Raven let out a gust of breath she didn't know she had been holding.

Engulfing Robin in her black energy, Raven flew for the exit; Robin was alive, but for how long, no one could say for sure. He needed medical attention, NOW.

Ten minutes later, Raven arrived at Titans Tower. She impatiently punched in the access code, entering the tower at a run…and crashing right into Cyborg.

"Where the heck have you been?", he yelled. "Your locator's been offline, you left without telling us anything, do you have any idea what time it is, girl?"

Raven jabbed her finger at Robin, who was floating just behind her. "I'm kinda busy here", she grunted, already headed for the elevator.

Cyborg stared in shock for a moment, and then continued his attack of 20 questions. Raven tuned him out, finally shutting the elevator door in his face. She didn't have time to explain, not right now.

Soon she was in the med lab, laying Robin down on one of the beds and preparing to hook him up to the machines…she stopped, a hint of a blush rising in her pale cheeks...she needed a guy for this job. Raven grabbed her communicator, calling Cyborg.

"Oh, so you decided to talk, huh?", he said, nervousness making him grumpy.

"I need you in the med lab. _Now_." With that, she hung up and turned back to Robin. He was stirring slightly, mumbling something incoherently…

_He was in a pitch-black room, the darkness surrounding him, suffocating him._

_Robin was straining his ears for one sound…and there it was._

"_Alone again, Robin?" That voice chilled him to the bone, and at the same time, he was on fire, aching, burning…_

"_Yes, it hurts, doesn't it? But trust me, as bad as it is now, it is going to get much, much worse."_

"_Shove off, Slade!", yelled Robin, trying to sound brave and confident, when in reality, he was neither._

"_Bravo, Robin. You really are something, aren't you? I have taken everything from you, and yet, you're still trying to give the orders. That's all about to change, however."_

"_What are you talking about?" Fear was choking him, making speech difficult._

"_Check your arm, Robin."_

_Robin stared down at his right arm, which was now sleeveless. There was a small bruise on it, a tiny puncture hole at its center. Dread filled him as he stared at it. His mind was racing with a thousand possibilities, each worse than the last._

"_We'll be talking again very soon, Robin. **Wake.**"_

Robin woke, breathing heavily. He had been dreaming…something about Slade. What was it? His head was pounding too hard to think. It was so hot, and yet he was shivering as though he lay on ice.

"Robin? Robin, can you hear me?" He stared blearily around for the source of the voice. "Raven?" He could see her, but she was blurred around the edges as though he was looking at her through a fog.

Raven let out a sigh of relief. "I'm here", she said soothingly, resting her hand on his forehead. All the sarcastic wit and cool detachment had left her; all she could think about was Robin.

"Raven…I need to tell you something", he said, in a croaky whisper.

"What?" She was startled. What could he possibly have to tell her? Then she remembered the photograph, and she was, once again, blushing. She leaned over him, realizing for the first time that he wasn't wearing his mask.

Robin was staring up at her, unfocused. "You have pretty eyes." His own eyes rolled up into his head.

Raven just stared at him for a second. He was delirious; he had no idea what he was saying, but still… She whispered back, "You too."

"Ahem!"

Raven jumped, blushing even harder as she whipped around to see Cyborg leaning against the doorframe, Beast Boy and Starfire close behind him. Raven decided that denial was her best option; she'd just pretend that nothing happened.

"About time", she snapped, somewhat back to her old self. "Cyborg, I need you to hook Robin up to the machines, and…clean him up", Raven ordered, not looking at her teammates. Desperate for something to make her look busy, she began searching for bandages and disinfectants.

"What, in Zall's name, is so humorous, friend Cyborg?", asked Star, who was close to tears at the sight of Robin's thoroughly slashed, battered, and bruised body.

Cyborg felt slightly ashamed as he remembered the seriousness of the situation. "Nothing, Star." Then he turned to the task at hand. "Uh…Star, Ray? You're gonna have to leave for a while", he said awkwardly.

Raven nodded and headed for the door, but Starfire needed further explanations. "Leave? Why should I leave? Robin needs me!", she exclaimed defiantly.

"Er, well, you see…just go, ok?", said Cyborg, exasperated and more than a little uncomfortable.

Starfire reluctantly joined Raven, who was meditating, in the hallway. On the outside, Raven was the picture of peace and tranquility, but on the inside, chaos reined. She had seized the first opportunity in days to regulate her emotions and control her powers. The necessity to do this was now even greater, in light of tonight's events. Robin would never recover if she blew him to bits with her unbridled emotions. Starfire was not making concentration easy, however.

"Raven, what has happened? Where has Robin been and why is he so injured?"

"It's a long story, Starfire", droned Raven, trying hard to be patient.

"Please, I must know!", yelled Star, frustrated for the second time in two days.

"One word, Starfire: Slade. Need I say more?" Raven opened her eyes, giving up on meditation.

Star gasped. "But…Cyborg said…Is Robin not cured? Is the mysterious chemical still present in his nervous system?"

"Star, Slade is back. Robin was right. He tried to tell us that Slade was still alive, but we didn't listen." Raven sighed, rubbing her eyes. It was one o'clock in the morning, and she had hardly slept the night before.

"But…I am still confused. Then Robin did not imagine Slade? He was really present? Where is he? Did you catch him?"

Starfire's questions were making Raven's head ache. "One at a time please, Starfire. Tonight, Slade really did attack Robin. I saw him, and he was definitely there. Where is Slade? No clue. Did I catch him? Obviously not." Reliving tonight's failure was far from enjoyable. "Does that answer your questions?"

Star was still very confused, but she could see that Raven was close to cracking, and the last thing she wanted was to have Raven explode in her face. "I think so, friend Raven, but I am still wondering: what is wrong with Robin?" the tears were back, threatening to spill out of her emerald eyes.

"What do you mean, 'what's wrong with him'? It would be easier to tell you what isn't wrong with him." Raven was loosing what little patience she had in the first place. She was stressed and worried to the breaking point.

Starfire was crying silently now. As irrational as it sounds, she felt that all this was her fault. She should have been there, should have gone after Robin when he left the kitchen. If she had, none of this would have happened.

Raven sighed, guilt rising in her chest as she looked at the weeping Tamaranian. "She's just as worried and afraid as I am", she thought already feeling bad for snapping at her. "Look, I-" Raven's apology was cut short as the door to the medical lab slid open to reveal a tired-looking Cyborg and a wide-eyed Beast Boy.

Raven and Starfire jumped to their feet, the tension they shared palpable. Raven finally broke the silence. "How bad is it?", she asked cautiously, keeping her voice firm and even.

"Let's just say it could be a lot better." Cyborg sighed, rubbing his human eye. "I've gotta recharge, or I'll be useless to y'all." Without looking at Star or Raven, he clumped off to his room. Beast Boy made a beeline in the direction of the bathroom, presumably to empty the contents of his stomach.

Raven approached the med lab door, pushed it open, and entered. Robin was still lying on the bed where she had last seen him, but now he was wearing a hospital gown and had various tubes sticking out of him and an oxygen mask covering his mouth and nose. The gentle beep of the machines proved that his heart was still beating, but other than that, Robin showed no signs of life. While staring at the monitors, Raven noticed Robin's body temperature: 105 degrees F. Her eyes widened.

"That's not good", she mumbled glancing around the room. She spotted a bowl of ice water and a rag sitting on a table near the bed. Cyborg and Beast Boy had clearly been trying to bring down Robin's fever. Raven dipped the rag in the bowl, sqeezed it out, and laid it gently on his forehead.

The shock of the cold rag brought Robin back to semi-consciousness. He blinked, trying to clear his vision. It didn't work. His body felt numb and fuzzy, thanks to the meds that Cyborg had shot into his IV, but still very hot. He stared up at Raven, wishing she would stop shaking and blurring.

"Hey. How are you feeling?", she asked, switching the rag to the colder side.

Starfire got up the courage to come in when she heard Raven speak. "Is he awake?", Star asked, tiptoeing over to her.

Raven, startled, jerked away from Robin's bed. "You'd better be careful, or you're going to get someone very angry at you", she thought.

Robin's eyes had closed again. "Not anymore", said Raven to Starfire. She removed the cloth, dipped it in the water, and placed it back on his forehead.

Starfire was staring wide-eyed at the tubes, oxygen mask, and IV. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. "What are all these strange devices?", she asked, her voice shaking.

Raven sighed, trying to find a simple and G-rated way to explain everything to the naïve alien girl. "Robin is…sick. This equipment will help him get better", explained Raven, as though she was talking to a preschooler.

"Oh", said Star, at a loss for anything else to say. Then the next loaded question arose. "Will Robin be all right?", asked Star, desperately hoping for some comforting words.

Raven considered all the options. She could tell Starfire the cold hard truth, she could lie and risk setting Starfire up for even more pain, or she could say something that was neither. The last one appealed to her most.

"Robin is very hurt, Star, but we are going to do everything we can to make him better." That seemed safe; it didn't actually promise that Robin would recover, but it didn't say he wouldn't either.

Starfire immediately threw herself into doing everything she could to make "friend Robin" better again. She showed complete faith in his recovery. Raven almost wished she could have the same blind optimism.

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_All right… the end of the fourth chapter. Please review and let me know what you think!_


	5. Nightmare

_Hello, hello, hello! LOL Count Olaf rocks…in an evil, nasty kind of way. Wow, the fifth chapter already…I'm beginning to wonder when this streak of inspiration will putter out…but the point is, it hasn't yet! _

_Nevermoretheraven: Annoying, yes. Naïve, definitely. Lovely music, by the way._

_Mcrystal: Thanks for reading; I'm glad you're enjoying it!_

_Ok then, on with the story!_

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Robin's fever finally broke at seven o'clock in the morning. Starfire was asleep on one of the lab's vacant beds, and Raven and Cyborg were talking in a corner of the room. Beast Boy had never returned from the bathroom, so they assumed that he had gone to bed long ago.

"So, what exactly are we looking at here?" asked Raven gravely, stifling a yawn.

Cyborg sighed. "A couple broken ribs, a broken arm, cuts, bruises, and his head took a pretty severe beating. We're gonna have to keep our eye on him; he could have easily suffered a concussion, and…we need to make sure everything's all right upstairs."

"What about the fever?"

"Looks like he's got an infected cut on his chest. It's not exactly minor, but it's treatable, and it's definitely the least of our worries right now. We need to set and cast his arm as soon as possible, though."

"Is there anything I can help with?" Raven asked, trying to keep her eyes open.

"No, Ray. At least not 'til you've had some rest. Go, I've got enough juice to last me a good five or six hours worth of watch duty."

"You sure?"

"Yep. Go get some sleep" he said, smiling reassuringly.

Raven made no further argument. She stumbled off to her room, wondering how on earth Beast Boy and Cyborg could constantly pull all-nighters on the Game Station.

Her room was dark and quiet. Raven breathed deeply, soaking in the familiarity of her haven. Tense muscles relaxed, her over-crowded mind was automatically cleared as though she had rubbed an eraser across it, and she felt safe again. She flopped on her bed, still fully clothed, immediately falling into a deep sleep.

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Robin moaned in his sleep, shifting slightly on the white hospital bed.

"_What's the matter, Robin?"_

_Raven's eyes were wide, staring pleadingly at him, begging for help._

"_Does this bother you?" Slade tightened his grip around her neck. Raven choked, gasping for air._

_Robin's legs were filled with lead. He tried to run to her, but he couldn't make his body move. His mind was a complete blank; he had to save her, she was dieing… He could only watch in horror as Slade squeezed harder, completely cutting off Raven's air supply._

_Robin screamed as she struggled against Slade's grip, moving jerkily, desperate for air._

"_I wonder what will happen if I keep squeezing?" Raven was slowly weakening, moving less and less as her body began to shut down. Robin was screaming, screaming so loud he thought he would explode. Raven went limp, her eyes staring hauntingly, accusingly, at Robin. Then they closed, and she moved no more._

_Robin's world was crashing in on him; he no longer heard his own screams; tears forced themselves out of his eyes; his heart was breaking into a million pieces…and all the while, Slade laughed at him, mocking his pain…_

"Robin? Robin!"

He jolted awake, breathing hard and fast. He had no clue where he was or what was happening; the dream was still burning in his mind.

"Whoa, man, chill! It was just a dream!" Robin stared up at Cyborg, who was leaning over him, pinning his shoulders to the bed.

His breathing slowed slightly. "Where's Raven?" His voice cracked when he said her name, his eyes burning and a lump rising in his throat as he remembered what he had just seen. He prayed that it wasn't real.

Cyborg blinked, surprised by Robin's blunt question. "She went to get some sleep. Why?"

Robin felt some relief, but it wasn't enough. He had to see her, hear her, and feel her before he could be all right again. He tried to push himself off the bed, but he fell back, groaning as pain shot like needles through his chest and arm.

"Oh, no you don't! You're not going anywhere, and if you try to move again, I'll strap you to the bed!" said Cyborg seriously.

"I have to talk to Raven!" said Robin through gritted teeth; his arm was hurting horribly.

Cyborg sighed. Robin was stubborn, bossy, and headstrong even in this vulnerable position. He knew that arguing would be pointless, so he gave in and called Raven.

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An annoying beeping sound drifted into Raven's dreams. It got louder and harder to ignore every second, forcing her eyes open.

"Somehow that didn't feel like five or six hours" she thought as she realized that the racket was coming from her communicator. "What?" she said groggily as she flipped it open.

"Uh, sorry to wake you up, but…Robin says he needs to talk to you" Cyborg said apologetically.

At the mention of Robin's name, Raven snapped to attention, ready for anything.

"What is it? Did something happen?"

"He's fine…well as fine as he can be, but…well he just says he wants to talk to you."

"I'm on my way." Raven rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and flew down to the medical lab, taking the stairs to save time. Her mind was reeling with all the things Robin could want to talk about, all of which seemed unlikely. What could he want, then? She arrived in the med lab slightly out of breath.

As time passed and the dream began to fade, Robin felt more and more embarrassed. Cyborg had woken Raven from her well-deserved rest because he had a nightmare. He felt like a two-year-old calling his mommy to come chase the monsters away. Humiliation burned in his cheeks.

And yet, when he saw her come in, purple hair slightly mussed and hanging in her eyes, he wasn't sorry for calling her down. Relief flooded through him, and the tightness in his chest released as he stared at her. She was alive, she was safe... "But for how long?" The sly voice was back, echoing through his mind. "NO!" he thought desperately. "Shut up!" "How long will your precious little girlfriend be safe? How long can you protect her? How long before she winds up dead, because of you?" "SHUT UP!" he yelled, holding his head. He heard a low chuckle, and then silence. The voice was gone, for now.

"Uh…Robin?" Raven's voice was uncertain, worried.

Robin opened his eyes to see Raven, Cyborg, and Starfire, who had been jolted awake by his scream, staring at him. He winced as he realized that his arm was throbbing with pain. He lowered it back onto the bed, not looking at anyone.

"Dude…are you ok?" asked Cyborg haltingly.

Robin squeezed his eyes shut. What was happening to him? Was he…? "I am not crazy!" he thought angrily. But then, why was he hearing voices no one else could?

"Robin, can you hear me?" Cyborg was getting really worried now. A nightmare, immediately followed by Robin talking to himself…Not good signs.

Who, or what, was that voice? It sounded strangely like…was this like before? Only this time, he was just hearing Slade, rather than seeing and feeling him as well?

"Robin!" yelled Cyborg, waving his hand in front of his eyes.

Robin jolted out of his thoughts with a sense of dread that he couldn't completely pin on the strange voice. "What?" he finally responded.

Cyborg was slightly relieved when Robin answered. The far-away look was mostly gone from his eyes. Dreading the answer, Cyborg asked, "Uh…who were you yelling at?"

Robin was silent again. What could he possibly say? "Oh, I was just talking to the disembodied voice in my head. Nothing to worry about!" Yeah, right. They'd probably stick him in a straight jacket and lock him in a room with padded walls. On the other hand, if he didn't tell them something, they would probably do that, anyway. "Uh…what yelling?"

Cyborg raised his eyebrow.

"Robin, is everything ok?" asked Raven, looking at him searchingly. She had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach; the last time something like this happened, a few hours later Robin was in Slade's hands. Coincidence? She doubted it.

"I'm fine", he said quietly. This phrase was as automatic for him as "and" and "the".

Starfire was looking from Cyborg, to Raven, to Robin, confused and afraid. She wondered why Robin did not speak to her; he knew that she was present. Robin would never ignore her; he would never hurt her…sadness filled Starfire as she admitted that this was no longer true. She remembered all his harsh words, and tears welled up in her eyes. Where had Robin gone?

There was an awkward silence between the four titans. Everyone was avoiding everyone else's eyes. Raven suddenly remembered what Cyborg had said.

"Did you need to talk to me, Robin?"

"Huh?" Then he remembered: the nightmare, the reason Raven was there in the first place. He hadn't really needed to talk to her, just to make sure she was safe…Then a terrible thought occurred to him. "I could always have _that _talk with her…" This idea terrified him more than 5,000 of Slade's robots ever could. He started mentally planning what he would say to her, but abruptly stopped. "You're setting yourself up. She doesn't…She would never…It's pointless!" "I…just wanted to say hi…" he said, mentally groaning. Lately, everything that came out of his mouth sounded stupid.

"Oh…hi", she said awkwardly, knowing that that couldn't be all he had wanted. Did she have to wring his neck to get him to talk?

Cyborg was looking from Raven to Robin. "Huh? You said you wanted to check on her because of that ni-" He broke off, seeing the death glare Robin was giving him. "Nice conversation you two had…the other day", he finished lamely, hoping that that was a good enough cover.

Raven raised an eyebrow at him. He looked away from her penetrating stare, twiddling his thumbs. "Oh, right. That conversation", said Raven coldly. "How could I forget that nice conversation? What did you want to say about it, Robin?"

"Nothing", he mumbled, cursing Cyborg.

"I see. So, what you're trying to tell me is I got woken up for nothing?" Something inside Raven wanted to get Robin to crack, to open up, and his resistance frustrated her. She left without another word. It wasn't true that her efforts had gone unrewarded. Remembering the night before, she almost wondered if she had imagined it all. Robin had cried; he had let down all his defenses and allowed someone to reach him. The Robin that she had seen that night had been no more than a child...a child alone in the dark. She wondered if Robin would ever allow her to see that defenseless side of him again. In fact, she wondered if she even wanted him to.

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_Well there it is. Chapter five. Please review and let me know how I'm doing and what I can improve on! Later, -Dusty_


	6. Painful Realization

_Hello again! Maybe you're wondering why I skipped a whole week of Robin's recovery. Well this is my reason: unless we want this story to have 100 chapters, I have to skip some of the bits that are of little importance. Anything significant about that week is mentioned in this chapter. Also, we are now closer to the part where everything gets interesting…a lot closer than we would have been if I went through that entire week._

_Ok, now I just want to say thanks so much for the flood of reviews! It really encourages me to keep going._

_sHaDoWgEeK: Thanks for reading; I'm glad you like it. Dang those typos!_

_Nevermoretheraven: Lol who is Mike Oldfield? I like writing nightmares probably about as much as you like reading them, so it works._

_Cathy: Thanks! And yes, well said: Raven and Robin 4eva!_

_Tigerfly57: Hmmm…will he be ok? That is a good question, but I'm not telling! Lol, if you remember this little fact you will probably get the answer though: Rob is my favorite character. Thank you for the review, I'm glad you like it!_

_Kaifan4ever: Wow, you sound so enthusiastic! I must really be doing well! ;)_

_ZINTHOS: Oh ok, I wasn't sure if it was an x or a z…and yes I knew that Raven could heal him to a certain extent. I'm glad you're enjoying it! Thank you for reading!_

_Rinagurl13: Wow! Thank you! I'll try to keep the updates coming!_

_Majestical: Thanks! I'm so glad you like it! I'll try and make "the rest" as interesting as possible._

_Saiya Woods: Hmmm…I was under the impression that you could use either…shrug. It's cool that you like it. Thank you for reading!_

_Lady isil: Thanks for reading, and I'll try to keep updating!_

_The fonix freeke: I'm glad you like it, and I intend on continuing to update…it just depends on what my teachers have to say about it. LOL no I don't play electric guitar…if given the opportunity I probably would though._

_Yellowlightning: Wow! Thanks so much, I really appreciate your review! I'll try to hold on to the inspiration…it can be slippery sometimes._

_Frosty1567: I'm really glad you're enjoying my story! And I really appreciate your review! It makes me want to keep writing._

_Kiddette: I'm happy to hear that you are enjoying it. Thanks for reading!_

_All righty then, on with the story!_

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**One week later**

Physically, Robin was on the road to recovery, much thanks to Raven's healing abilities, but mentally, he was in bad shape. He was having more and more nightmares, each more terrible than the last and all featuring Slade. The strange voice in his head was becoming ever-present, try as he might to fight it off.

Most of the titans had given up trying to talk to him. Even though he was sitting there in front of them, he was miles away and completely out of their reach. They couldn't help him because he wouldn't let them.

I said _most_ of the titans had given up; one was still trying.

"Good morning, Robin", greeted Raven as she entered the med lab with her usual cup of tea and book in her hands. "How are you feeling?"

How Robin was feeling could have filled several volumes, so he mumbled his usual response to Raven's usual question. "Fine."

"That's good", Raven replied; she was used to this lie, but she kept hoping that, one of these days, he would open up and tell her the truth. "Where did we get to?" she mumbled, more to herself than to Robin. She had been reading Sherlock Holmes, something she thought would suit his tastes, to him for almost a week now. She found the right page and started reading.

Robin closed his eyes, listening to the familiar words. This had been his favorite book since he was nine years old, when Bruce had first read it to him. He lost himself in the story, forgetting everything else as Raven's voice washed over him…

"It's noon; Cyborg will probably be bringing your lunch soon."

Robin's dream world vanished; he was back in Titans Tower, back in the medical lab, back on the hard bed with its stiff, white sheets. He sighed, opening his once-again masked eyes. His fellow titans had wondered why he insisted on wearing it; they had all seen his eyes, so why bother hiding them? Why? Because the mask covered more than Robin's eyes; it covered his very soul. It kept his deepest secrets hidden from outsiders. Without his mask, he was just Richard Grayson. Without his mask, he was weak.

"We can read a little more after lunch if you want", offered Raven, watching him closely.

"Sure", he mumbled, trying to sound indifferent, but not quite making it.

Raven's lips twitched into a half-smile. She heard a hint of eagerness in his voice; he _was_ enjoying it, even if he never admitted it to her. "All right. I'll see you later, then", she said, taking her empty mug but leaving the book on the bedside table.

"Bye", Robin mumbled. He hated to see her go, even though he knew she was coming back soon. He didn't like to admit it, even to himself, but lately, Raven was the only thing keeping him sane.

"Chow time!" yelled Cyborg, wheeling in a cart with Robin's lunch on it.

Robin peered unenthusiastically at the food; it was meat, all of it: ham, bacon, hamburger patties…Not exactly his cup of tea, but Cyborg's days were much better than Beast Boy's. "If I have to look at one more veggie burger, I'll die!"

"Dig in, Bro!" said the half-robot cheerfully, ignoring the less-than-pleased look on Robin's face. He didn't wait around for him to respond: his leader had barely spoken two words to him all week, so he didn't expect that to change now.

Cyborg left, and, as though it had been waiting for him to be alone, the voice whispered in Robin's ear. "You do realize that they all hate you, don't you, Robin? They're just waiting for the right moment, and when it comes, they'll stab you in the back. No one can be trusted, Robin. They are all against you." "Lies!" screamed Robin. "Why would I lie to you, Robin? I'm your friend. Trust me, Robin." "NO! Leave me alone!" "Oh, but you _are_ alone."

Robin opened his eyes, breathing heavily. He _hated_ the voice; he hated how it seemed to know all his worst fears and doubts. It knew everything about him, and he could never stop it.

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Starfire stared at the ceiling, sighing deeply. She was lying on her bed in her usual position: feet on the pillow and head hanging over the edge.

Star was, believe it or not, depressed. She had done everything she could to help Robin, but for all the response she got, she might as well have not been there.

"Oh, Robin, where have you gone?" …A question she had asked herself many times in the past week.

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"So…do you think maybe we should…do something about Robin?" asked Cyborg tentatively, without looking away from the screen.

"Who?" Beast Boy was furiously pushing buttons on his paddle, leaning to the right, then back to the left, as though hoping this would improve his chance of winning.

They were playing Soul Calibur II, and Nightmare was thoroughly kicking Link's butt.

"That's what you get for choosing a woosy little elf dude!" gloated Cyborg as he smashed Link to the ground, again.

"Hey! Link is _so _not a woosy! You just pick Nightmare 'cause he has the biggest sword!" Beast Boy was getting ready to use the "my paddle's screwed up" excuse to explain why Cyborg had 55 games on him.

Cyborg suddenly paused the game, turning seriously towards Beast Boy.

"Hey! Dude, turn it back on! I was winning!"

"I'm serious, B. What should we do about Robin?" Cyborg confiscated Beast Boy's paddle and turned off the Game Station.

"Dude! What do I care? You just totally screwed up our game, Cyborg!"

"You were losing anyway, and I think it's pretty lame to put a stupid game before your friend!" Beast Boy was fun and all, but sometimes he could be a real jerk.

"What is there to talk about? Robin's finally cracked, lost it, gone haywire! The only thing _to _do with him is stick him in an insane asylum!"

"Whoa, what's gotten into you, man? Robin's our friend; doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Wake up, Cyborg!" yelled the green shape-shifter. "Robin talks to voices in his head! He's crazy; we've tried everything and nothing worked!"

It was Cyborg's turn to yell. "That's funny coming from you. Where have you been this whole week? Parked right here, while the rest of us were trying to help him! I'm surprised you even know what's going on!"

"I don't have to deal with this", said Beast Boy, stomping towards the door. "If you want to keep pretending that everything's ok, fine by me, but I'm _not_ going to play along!" He shut the door, kicked it, and stormed off to his room.

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Robin had probably "finished his lunch" by now. Raven sighed, staring at her "Starry Night" poster. He had hardly eaten anything all week. The dark circles under his eyes had been getting steadily darker, suggesting that he was also not sleeping. He was constantly tense, as though waiting for an attack. The only time Raven saw him relax was when she read to him. Something about those words made Robin feel safe, and that is what kept her going, even though Sherlock Holmes was hardly her style, even though everyone else had quit. She was helping him somehow, and knowing that made everything easier to handle.

"Hey, how was your lunch?" Raven asked dryly, staring at the full plate of food sitting on the bedside table.

Robin ignored the question; he was thinking furiously. Maybe Raven could help him. She was something of an expert on this sort of thing. But…could he trust her? Doubt filled his mind: what kind of help would Raven give him?

Robin seemed to be having some sort of inner struggle. A well-placed word or two could make all the difference. "If there's anything you need to talk about, I'm here", she said, her voice soft and soothing.

"She's trying to coax it out of you", hissed the voice. "Don't fall for her sweet words; she just wants a reason to chuck you in an asylum."

"What's there to talk about?" he asked harshly. "Don't pretend you haven't all been talking about it."

"Contradicting himself in one breath; interesting", she thought. "Talking about what?" she asked.

"Don't lie! Stop trying to fake me out! I know what you guys are planning! You can't fool me!" He was breathing fast; glaring at her.

"What are you talking about?" Raven had a feeling that she was getting close to the root of the problem.

He was shaking. "You…You're all against me, you…" His voice trailed off, and then his eyes grew wide. "No. No! That's not true!" he said, quietly at first, but growing in volume. He suddenly screwed up his eyes, as though in pain. "You're wrong", he groaned. "I won't listen to you. NO!" His whole body tensed, every muscle taught…Then, with a gasp, he relaxed, falling back against the pillows, breathing as though he had just run a marathon.

Raven watched all of this, eyes wide and frozen to the spot. She had seen one of, what Cyborg called, "Robin's fits" before, but it was nothing like this. She began to understand all his strange behavior; the pieces were falling into place, but she didn't like the picture that was emerging. As she stared at him, weak and panting on the clean, white hospital bed, something she had been trying to deny clicked into place in her mind: Robin needed help, and the titans couldn't give it to him.

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_So there it is, chapter 6. I apologize if I sound mean and heartless, and trust me, there are better things to come…whether or not it gets worse first…well, we'll just have to see. I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with chapter 7, although I do know the name: Getting Help…lol if that tells you anything. Later, everybody! -Dusty_


	7. Getting Help

_So here we are again…I thought I'd get this chapter up now because I'm going back to school on Monday, which unfortunately means a lot less time to spend on this fan fic :(_

_I will definitely finish it, but it might take longer to update, so please bear with me!_

_Rinagurl13: Yeah, Beast Boy is definitely being a jerk. Wow I'm really glad you like it so much…blush. And here's your update!_

_Nevermoretheraven: LOL the title really doesn't say much, does it?_

_Ok then, here goes!_

"We have to do something about Robin!" Raven blurted out when she finally found Cyborg in the kitchen.

Cyborg blinked in surprise. "Uh, I was about to say the same to you. So what kind of something are you suggesting?"

Raven felt guilty, as though she was somehow betraying the boy wonder. "But this is for his own good. I'm not betraying him, I'm saving him from himself." Now if she could just believe that.

"Well, we can handle broken bones and bruises, but we're just not…psychiatrists." She said the last word quietly, feeling ashamed somehow.

"I know. I've been thinking the same thing, and…I think it's time to call for back up."

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"Are you sure about this guy?" whispered Raven.

"Positive. Mathews is the best of the best", replied Cyborg, his voice a little less certain than his words.

Raven stared through the window in the medical lab's door, a lump the size of a golf ball lodged in her throat. "You're doing the right thing…" If only she could believe those words.

Starfire floated just behind Raven, biting her fingernails: a habit she had picked up recently. She was completely and utterly confused; all Raven and Cyborg would tell her was that this peculiar-looking man was here to help Robin, and that everything would be all right. Her head ached with all the questions that had gone unanswered, and her stomach twisted and lurched with anxiety for her boy.

"Please, please let him be all right", she prayed, every particle of her echoing that hope.

Beast Boy was present, but hardly there. His stomach clenched in guilty remembrance of all the things he had said, and no words could express his remorse or the fear he felt for his friend. BB felt like running away, but his feet were rooted to the ground.

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Robin stared up at the dark-haired, dark-eyed Dr. Mathews with hatred and disgust.

"Well then, _Robin_", Mathews said, almost tauntingly. "What seems to be the problem?"

"You are the problem", snarled Robin, glaring at Mathews with enough fury to ignite a person's toenails.

"Ah", said Mathews, furiously scribbling on a notepad with fancy leather covers. "You seem to have a lot of pent up anger, _Robin_. Why is that, do you suppose?"

Robin ground his teeth and clenched his fists; he would have liked nothing better than to beat this pompous man to a pulp. He was busy picturing this when Mathews made his next move.

"Is it possible that your recent defeat could have anything to do with this? Do you feel that you are a failure, because of it?" Mathews asked, pen poised above his note pad.

Robin exploded. "Shut up!" he screamed, jerking himself forward. He clenched his teeth to keep back the yell of pain that was fighting to escape him.

Mathews didn't flinch, didn't jump back. In fact, his face showed no change in emotion as he scribbled some more, tongue between his teeth. "Well now", he said cheerfully, as though they were having a pleasant conversation at a tea party. "That's been cleared up, so all that's left is the physical examination. Don't be alarmed; it won't hurt a bit."

Robin glared even harder. This idiot was talking to him as though he was four years old. "No, he doesn't think you're a child", he thought bitterly. "He thinks you're insane."

"Now, if you could just remove your mask for me?" It was posed as a question, but meant as an order.

Robin's eyes widened. Remove his mask? The clueless moron! He couldn't just remove his mask, especially not for some crackpot psychiatrist! "What did you say?" he asked, stunned.

"Remove your mask, please. Checking your eyes is part of the examination."

Robin continued to stare. Didn't this loser know anything?

"Come now, _Robin_. I haven't got all day", said Mathews briskly.

"No", said Robin firmly, finally finding his voice again.

"What do you mean, 'no'? Enough nonsense, now; take it off", he ordered, a little less pleasantly.

"I said NO!" yelled Robin, staring Mathews defiantly in the face.

Dr. Mathews stared, somewhat surprised. He recovered quickly, however. "Now, now, _Robin_. If you won't do what I ask nicely, I will have to get rough with you."

"I'd like to see you try", challenged Robin, a sneer on his lips.

Now, despite what Robin might think, Dr. Mathews was not stupid. He could plainly see that, even in his current condition, Robin could overpower him easily. Therefore, he didn't even entertain the idea of tackling the titan on his own. Instead, he paged his two assistants, otherwise known as thugs, who were waiting in the hallway.

"Restrain him", he ordered, and his assistants obliged.

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Raven and Cyborg were roughly shoved aside as Dr. Mathews' back up pushed their way into the med lab.

Raven gasped as Thug 1 held Robin down while Thug 2 pulled out think leather restraints and began strapping him to the bed. Robin got his good arm free and slugged Thug 1 in the face, desperately trying to free his legs from the leather straps. Thug 1 quickly recovered. He shoved Robin roughly down on the bed, hands pressing into his ribs. Raven could see Robin's grimace of pain as Thug 1 pressed harder. She raced for the door, but Cyborg stepped in front of it, blocking her way.

"This isn't what was supposed to happen! They're hurting him!" she gasped, the breath catching in her chest. _She_ had done this to him.

"There's no other way. You should have known Robin would put up a struggle. This is for his own good", said Cyborg firmly, preventing her from going around him.

Raven could see into the lab over Cyborg's shoulder. Robin was now strapped to the bed from head to toe. He was still struggling, however, even though she could see it was causing him immense pain. Raven couldn't breathe, tears were threatening to spill out of her eyes; she wanted so desperately to run to him, but still Cyborg held her back.

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"Hold still now, Robin. You are making a big fuss over nothing", said Mathews, the pleasantness back in his tone.

Still Robin struggled; struggled against the restraints, struggled against the pain shooting through his body and pounding in his head. Thug 1 reached towards his mask, and, as easy as blinking, took it off. Robin tightly closed his eyes; he would **not** let them see them, even if they saw everything else. His eyes were his own, and no one else's.

"Oh, _Robin_, be reasonable!" Mathews' tone was mocking. He motioned to Thug 2, who immediately stepped forward and pried Robin's eyelids apart.

"What pretty peepers the psycho has!" the muscle man grunted.

Robin spat in his face, causing him to reel backward in disgust. "Why you little-", he growled, drawing his fist back.

"That's enough, Boris", ordered Mathews. Thug 2, or Boris, retreated into a corner of the lab, grumbling angrily.

"I do wish you wouldn't force me to take such drastic measures", said Mathews in mock distress. Robin's eyes remained tightly closed. "But, since you will not cooperate…" He motioned to Thug 1, who reached into a small briefcase and pulled out a syringe and a vial of clear liquid. He injected it into Robin's arm, despite his desperate struggles, and backed away, awaiting further orders.

The room began to spin; everything was going fuzzy. Robin tried to fight the sedative, but it was no use. "Raven…" he whispered, and then the world went black.

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Dr. Mathews emerged, smoothing back a stray lock of black hair.

Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy stared expectantly at him, while Raven glared.

"Well, your friend shows clear signs of aggressiveness. He is highly dangerous and extremely unstable. I'm afraid it will be necessary to take him in for further testing", he announced with cool detachment.

"What do you mean, 'further testing'?" demanded Raven.

"Nothing to worry about! Just some simple tests to locate the, uh, source of the problem", he said, patting her arm in what he thought was a comforting gesture.

Raven convulsed; Robin, in a strange white room, Pain, Slade… She gasped as it all ended and she was once again staring into Dr. Mathews' cold, black eyes.

"Are you all right, dear?" asked the doctor, in unconvincing concern.

She cringed; being called "dear" was enough to make her hurl. She let it slip, however, as she was trying to interpret her vision. Was Dr. Mathews somehow connected to Slade?

Dr. Mathews looked at Cyborg, waiting for permission to cart Robin off to his laboratory.

Cyborg hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.

"Right then", Dr. M. said pleasantly, rubbing his palms together. He motioned to Thug 1 and Thug 2, who produced a stretcher, and proceeded to remove the straps that bound Robin. They lifted him onto the stretcher as easily as if they were lifting a sack of potatoes.

Raven stood motionless, her brain working furiously. Her instincts were telling her that if she let Robin go out the door now, he would be in grave danger. Why had she done this? This was her fault; she had betrayed him to these heartless people.

Raven ran to Cyborg, whispering urgently, "This isn't right. I have a bad feeling about this guy. We can't let him take Robin!"

But Cyborg had made up his mind. "This is what he needs, Raven. You said it yourself; he needs help, and we can't give it to him. This guy _can_." He patted her shoulder, smiling kindly at her. "I know you're worried. I am too, but this is how it has to be."

Raven stared helplessly at Robin, lying motionless on the stretcher. She could only imagine what he had been going through; so much pain…

"All right", she said, defeated. Cyborg nodded encouragingly.

Raven walked up to the stretcher, gently placing her hand on Robin's forehead. "It's going to be ok", she whispered past the lump in her throat.

And just like that, Robin was out of their hands.

_There you go!I promiseI'll update as soon asI can. Later, -Dusty_


	8. Torment

_Hello once again… The inspiration fairy visited me last night, so here is your update, much, much sooner than I expected!_

_Nevermoretheraven: LOL is that bad or good?_

_Madman: Ok ok, here's your update…just don't hurt me! LOL!_

_Estel-Elf-Lover: I'm glad you like it, and I'm definitely glad that I have given Ray/Rob fics a good name! **grins sheepishly**_

_Saiya Woods: It's fine; input is always good! And it's not necessarily Robin who thinks his friends would turn on him, it is that darn voice that is telling him lies. And I didn't mean to make BB sound so mean…he just doesn't really know how to deal with things…basically he either makes a joke or gets mad._

_Firefox: LOL yes I know that now…Thanks, I'm glad you like it!_

_Rinagurl13: I'm glad you liked it…I was kind of worried cuz the last chapter was pretty mean…and yeah I feel bad for Raven…I mean, I know I wrote it that way, but still… Your story is sounding really cool…you approach it in a way that is different from the every day stuff; it makes it more interesting! LOL lets all curse Monday! And I don't care if people think I'm too old for it: Teen Titans Rocks!_

_Lynx16: Thanks…blush._

_Raven of the night 676: I agree with you on that…I didn't mean to make BB sound heartless…he's not that bad for a little pointy-eared green guy._

_Strixvaria: I'm glad you like it, and here is the next chap!_

_Tinkerbellx2: Wow, thanks so much…blushes furiously. Here is the update! Yay!_

_Frosty1567: LOL that one got me laughing too. Mean, but still funny. I'm in 10th grade, otherwise known as my sophomore year._

_Kiddette: Your enthusiasm is much appreciated. Here is your update!_

_Unicorns-baby: Raven doubted her instincts. A trusted friend (Cyborg) was telling her that she was wrong, and because she loves Robin she listened to him and did what she hoped would be best. When she thought about it, she dismissed her worries as selfish, in that she wanted him to stay with her more than she wanted him to get the help he needed. Never say never, my friend. I considered bringing in Batman; in fact, it was either him or the evil Dr. Mathews, and I chose Mathews, mostly because I know basically nothing about Batman and didn't want to screw up his character. You need wait no longer!_

_All right then, here we go!_

Blinding light pierced his eyes; voices, mixed and muddled beyond recognition; cold metal against his skin…

The room was slowly coming into focus; white walls, white ceiling, white everything: all of it, completely unfamiliar.

"Where am I?" was the first complete thought his sluggish brain kicked out. Nothing made any sense; he couldn't think; his head thudded dully. Fear choked him, fear that he could not explain.

"Think!" Something had happened, something bad… Then it dawned on him.

"Mathews", he mumbled, remembering everything in bits and pieces: the interrogation, Mathews' thugs, losing his mask, a needle…then nothing.

"Sedatives", he muttered. But then, how had he gotten here? Where was here? Why hadn't the titans—? Robin felt a sickening jolt; his friends had deserted him.

"Why are you surprised, my friend? Didn't I tell you this would happen? Your precious little girlfriend is the one who suggested it. She never loved you, Robin. You were merely an annoyance that she disposed of at the first opportunity. She played with you, lead you on, and once she had her fun, she dropped you like the worthless failure that you are."

"NOO!" shrieked Robin, his hands clamped over his ears, writhing and twisting against the iron bars that held him to the bed.

"They betrayed you, Robin. She betrayed you. They're going to lock you away here for the rest of your miserable, pathetic life."

Tears were streaming down Robin's cheeks. "No! She wouldn't!"

"Oh, but she would, Robin. And she did. You gullible fool! She took great pleasure in doing this to you. And who could blame her? You're dangerous, Robin. You're a raving lunatic."

Robin was sobbing now, his whole body shaking and convulsing. "I hate you!!!" he screamed.

The voice chuckled, then laughed. The sound was ringing through his head; it was everywhere, it was pulsing inside his very veins. "Shut up!" he screamed, to nothing and everything at the same time.

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"He's been like this for an hour now, sir", said the nurse mater-of-factly.

"Hmmm", Dr. Mathews muttered, watching Robin as if he was a particularly interesting specimen waiting to be dissected. "This case is much more serious than I suspected." He stood there, stroking his chin and staring in at the great and mighty leader of the Teen Titans; the protector of their city. He chuckled. "Looks more like a lunatic to me", he thought, with a feeling of satisfaction. He had always known that the Titans were merely wacky teenagers with severe mental and emotional trauma.

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"No. This just isn't right. I'm getting him out of there", announced Raven, putting on her cloak and heading for the elevator.

"You don't even know where they've got him. How do you expect to find him? And if you do, how are you going to get him out?" Cyborg called after her, switching tactics since his "this is best" speech was making no impact.

"I don't care! I'll figure it out when I get there!" she shot over her shoulder, shutting the elevator door behind her. She was shocked at the recklessness that had her in its grip. This is the sort of behavior she would expect from Robin, not herself…

Guilt flooded her as she thought of him. She kept replaying it all in her mind, over and over again, every detail…Her heart ached as she heard his cries for her once again. They weren't uttered from his mouth, but from his heart, from his very soul. Her eyes burned with tears that had been trying to fall since last night; he had cried out to her for help, and she had not come.

"I'm coming now!" she though desperately, trying to rid herself of the guilt that was weighing her down, making her droop like a wilted rose. "Hold on, Robin. I'm coming for you!" she cried out into the void, hoping that somehow, her words would reach him.

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"What was that?" mumbled Robin, eyes blurred with tears.

"What was what?" asked the vice.

"I heard something…" Could it have been?

The voice laughed mockingly. "Of course you heard something! You heard me! You will always hear me! I will never go away!"

"No…" Robin had heard her, but…how was that possible?

"Her?" questioned the voice. "Oh, don't tell me…Raven, your little girlfriend? You are even more stupid than I thought. After all she has done to you, you still love her? You still think she'll come to save you? Fool! No one is coming! When will you get that through your thick skull? You are here because she put you here! You're insane, Robin. This is the only place for you."

"But she said…", Robin whispered, the tears back again.

"She said what?" asked the voice coldly.

"She said…she was coming for me…" His heart ached with longing. Could she really be coming? He could see her, every detail perfect: her purple hair falling in her dark purple eyes, her skin white and perfect, a slight smile half-formed on her lips… "Raven!" Her name burst from him; it was in every part of him; his mind, body, and soul were all united in that one, simple word.

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She gasped. "Robin?"

She had heard him, as clearly as though he was standing right next to her. She flew faster now, headed for the huge building that was Dr. Mathews' lair.

As Raven stared at the sheer size of the hospital, reason caught up with her. "How am I going to find him in that?" The odds were too horrible to even calculate, but she couldn't just leave now. She would not fail him again.

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"That's right, Robin. Keep screaming, and we'll see if she comes before someone sedates you", said the voice mockingly.

Robin ignored the voice. She was coming, she had to be coming… "Raven!"

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Raven clung to his voice, using it like a rope connecting her to him. "Come on! Keep talking!" she though, willing Robin to keep calling her. She opened a black portal in the back wall of the building and disappeared inside of it. Raven had a feeling that Mathews would not appreciate her little visit.

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"Oh, look who it is! Remember me, punk?" growled Boris, entering Robin's high security room.

Robin came out of his trance enough to recognize the giant of a man towering over him. He was with Mathews last night…had it been last night? Anger flared in Robin; stared at Boris with pure hatred.

"You've been makin' an awful lot of noise, sonny. The boss doesn't like noise." Boris cracked his knuckles, getting closer and closer to Robin.

A cold sweat broke out on Robin's forehead. He struggled weakly against the three iron bars that pinned him to the bed, but he stopped as pain seared in his arms and legs. He stared down and saw that blood was staining the clean, white sheets he lay on.

Boris guffawed, moving closer until he stood right next to the bed, his face barely an inch from Robin's. "You remember our little argument, punk? 'Cause I've got somethin' to say about that." His fist shot out and punched Robin in the stomach.

Robin coughed as the wind was knocked out of him. Boris hit him again, this time in the face. Stars erupted in front of his eyes as Boris brought his fist smashing once again into his ribs.

Robin choked as he felt nearly mended ribs crack.

Boris straightened up, rubbing his knuckles and grinning as Robin gasped and moaned in pain. "Seeya later, psycho!" he said gleefully, leaving Robin alone in the white room.

Robin fought for consciousness; pain seared through his chest, coming in waves, each one harder to bear. His head pounded, his breath was coming in short gasps.

"So, where is your sweet Raven now, Robin? Do you see her anywhere? No? But she promised she would come take you away!" The voice laughed mirthlessly.

Robin was sinking, falling into an endless black pit. The voice was winning.

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Raven stared at the endless hallway with its endless amount of doors. She had followed Robin's voice here, but she could no longer hear him. She fought down the panic that was paralyzing her mind. If she could just sense him…

There were so many emotions in this place, all fighting each other, vying to be felt. Raven's body pulsed with anger, fear, sadness, pain, loneliness, and, worst of all, a kind of anti-emotion, an emptiness that threatened to overtake her.

Raven withdrew her mind, and she was alone with her own emotion: despair. She tried again to communicate with him, to get him to show her some sign; something, anything…But her voice was just a whisper in a vast, howling storm.

"Ok, then. We do this the old-fashioned way." Raven went from door to door, staring through the window in each. Someone occupied almost all, but none of the faces belonged to Robin. The emptiness of the hallway was unnerving; surely she should have run into someone by now!

When she reached the last door, with still no Robin, Raven almost gave up. But then the sign next to the metal-gated end of the hallway caught her eye: High Security Ward, NO VISITORS.

"We'll see about that." She was on the other side of the door in a twinkling. These rooms were different from those she had already seen; the doors were thicker, and their windows contained bars instead of glass. Also, an access code was needed for each door. This, however, would be no problem for Raven.

Five doors down, she saw him. Her stomach lurched, and she was through the wall and at his side in a matter of seconds. She tried to speak, but the words died in her throat.

Robin was as pale as death, the blood flowing from his swollen nose contrasting sharply with his ghostly white skin. There was a wild look in his blood shot eyes, and his spiky black hair was sticking out in all directions. Blood soaked the sheets where his arms and legs lay.

Raven glared at the cruel metal bars imprisoning Robin. They glowed with black energy, then were bent back easily.

"Robin", she whispered, touching his cheek.

Robin tried to bring her into focus, but she kept blurring and shimmering, like a mirage… "Raven?" he whispered, lifting a violently shaking hand to touch her face. Was she real?

Raven took his hand in both of hers, and held it against her cheek. "Robin, I'm so sorry." A tear fell on his hand.

"Please don't cry", he croaked, smiling weakly at her. She was so beautiful…

These words turned on the faucet. Tears streamed down her face.

"It's ok, Raven."

He was so hurt, and yet he was still trying to protect her, still trying to comfort her… Before she could think, she brought her face close to his and kissed him.

Robin was shocked, and almost pulled away, but then… He relaxed, letting her presence engulf him. He was no longer lost; he had found his purpose…he had found his Raven.

They would have stayed like that, lost in each other, for all eternity…if he had not come.

"I'm afraid visiting hours are over", came a falsely cheerful voice from behind Raven.

_First off, I'm sorry! I know this was a very mean chapter…that's why there is also a kissing scene, to lessen the pain. Hope you enjoyed it, and (for real) chapter nine could take awhile to write, so…be patient with me! Later, -Dusty_


	9. There and Gone Again

_Ok first off, sorry sorry sorry! We got hit with a body slam of homework this week...dang mean teachers! Also I had a slight case of writer's block, but don't worry I have a good feeling the next chapter will be up much sooner, especially since it's now the weekend. _

_tinkerbellx2: I know...I feel guilty for how things are going for Robin...bad Dusty, bad Dusty! Thanks for reviewing! Oh, by the way, what's your favorite school subject?_

_Strixvaria: LOL sorry I have this thing with cliffies...I guess it motivates me to write the next chapter. Good question, and the answer is I have no idea if it is almost over or not...I'm basically going chapter by chapter._

_Rinagurl13: LOL I didn't mean to make you cry...but I suppose it means that my story is good, yes? Lol yes we shall curse Monday together, but lets not stop there! We shall curse school in general, including teachers and confounded homework assignments!_

_Estel-Elf-Lover: I'm glad you liked it!_

_kiddette: blushes...thanks :)_

_nevermoretheraven: Oh, ok. I was curious...I realize it was a pretty...unique chapter..._

_Majestical: Thanks, and I intend to!_

_Tigerfly57: Your wish is my command..._

_frosy1567: No, I don't use AIM...Wow lots of sophmores...what's your fav school subject?_

_Unicorns-baby: Lol first three questions are soon to be answered...I'm glad you liked the kissing scene, though it was pretty short. I suppose I could have made it more difficult to block the psychos, but in my story she basically chooses to reach out or not to reach out, unless they are being possessed then a power greater than hers could take hold of her. Hmmm....is Mathews Slade?....I am unable to divulge that information at this time. Yes, I knew that much about Batman but not enough to write him...at least in my opinion. And yes, I haven't put much about Raven's emotions in lately...I will pay more attention to that from now on. LOL no input never bugs me. Cyborg is, unnoficially, the leader when Robin is incapacitated, so therefore, he felt his decision is the one that should count. You will see in this chapter why he might not have trusted Raven's judgement to be...unbiased. And that last question will shortly be answered._

_Saiya Woods: Hmmm....that is a good question...._

_maroonedpirate11: Here, here I updated! Don't pass out on me! LOL j/k. Your enthusiasm is inspiring._

_Eilian Rhoss: Why, thank you, Rae! I'm glad that my story has given you a different perspective on rav/rob fics. Thanks so much for reviewing!_

_Rain: LOL sorry...I don't know if I could write a non-cliffy ending if I tried! And I will do my best to make my future chapters interesting!_

_the fonix freeke: LOL I figured as much. LOL Robin's mind is not quite lost, just a little....jumbled. As to whether or not Raven can help, we shall just have to see. _

_All right then, on with the story!_

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Raven's eyes gleamed white, and black energy shimmered around her fists.

"Now, now. No need for that! I am quite unarmed!" Dr. Mathews' lips twitched into a plastic smile.

"What have you done to him?", Raven demanded, standing protectively in front of Robin.

"Me? I didn't do anything to him. He did that to himself", he said, motioning to the blood

Raven looked questioningly at Robin. He shook his head slightly. "No...no..."

"He's been screaming and thrashing for hours now, yelling out a name...What was it now? Oh, yes. Raven!", he cried, mimicking Robin with a strange glint in his eye.

The guilt returned in full force, choking her. "You're disgusting!", she hissed with quiet fury.

"He's been talking to himself, yelling at someone who is only real in his mind." He smiled, noticing Raven's distress with pleasure. "Do you still want to take him home?", he asked, reffering to Robin as though he was a diseased or aggressive dog. "Are you willing to risk him attacking himself or someone else? Robin is mad; he has no idea what he is saying. Are you going to believe him or a trained psychologist, like myself?"

Raven turned and stared at Robin, doubt creeping into her mind.

Fear was paralyzing Robin. He was going to lose her again, she was going to leave him. "No...no, Raven...it's not true...Don't go, Raven! Don't leave me!", he mumbled, trying to fight the darkness that was weighing on his eyes.

"He needs medical attention, dear." Dr. Mathews placed a hand on Raven's shoulder. "If you really want to help him, you'll let me look out for him. I swear, nothing will happen to him while he is in my care."

"No...He's...It's not..." The room was dissolving; Raven was fading to black..."No! Raven!" He tried to scream, but only a hoarse whisper came out. Robin's eyes rolled up inot his head, and he moved no more.

"You have to be strong, dear. You have to do what is right for Robin." Dr. Mathews patted her shoulder comfortingly.

Raven was wavering. If what Dr. Mathews said was true, Robin's "fits" had gotten much worse. What if she couldn't handle them? If she did take Robin, what would she be giving him? Another isolated room with white walls and restraints?

"You're right, Doctor", Raven sighed, hanging her head as the tears began to fall. "You promise he'll be all right?"

"I swear it!", he pledged, smiling encouragingly at her.

"All right. He stays here", she said, the picture of defeat. "Doctor, could I have a minute alone with him?", she pleaded, a slight quiver in her voice.

"Of course! But you'll need to put those bars back where you found them, for your own safety."

Raven bent the bars back over Robin, reattaching them. Dr. Mathews stepped outside, and she heard his footsteps retreating down the hallway.

Quick as a flash, the bars were once again bent back and Robin was engulfed in her dark energy. She opened a portal in the wall and pulled him through it, vanishing without a trace.

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_Teehee...Dusty speaking. I bet you thought she was going to leave him, didn't you? Admit it! Haha! She was acting the whole time! Ok, sorry to slow you down._

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"Ray, what were you thinking?", yelled an exasperated Cyborg.

"Look at him, Cyborg! Does this look like what's best for him?" Raven's voice was louder than she usually allowed it to be, and an armchair exploded as she spoke.

Cyborg took a step backwards, shocked at her breakdown of emotional defenses. "What are we supposed to do with him, Raven?", he asked, recovering from his surprise. "Restrain him? That clearly didn't work! Talk to him? Oh wait, that didn't work either!" He plopped down on an intact armchair, head held in his hands in frustration.

"In case you haven't noticed, Cyborg, Robin is not a piece of furniture. He's a person, our leader, and, last time I checked, our friend. What else could we do but look out for him?" Anger flared in Raven; she hated the way they were treating him...like a thing, a nuiscance, a freak...Their words were directed at Robin, but she felt the sting all too well.

"Hold up there, Ray. I didn't mean..." He sighed deeply. "Look, I'm sorry, ok? It's just...stressful...and I'm just as worried as you are."

"It's fine. But being stressed is not going to help Robin."

"I know...There's something I needed to talk to you about. Starfire has been a real mess lately. She hasn't come out of her room all day. Do you think you could...talk to her or something?", he asked tentatively.

Raven's stomach clenched as she contemplated the possiblity. The heat rose in her face as she remembered what happened at the hospital...she had never meant to hurt Star...but now it seemed far too late to avoid that. "I'll...see what I can do", she mumbled, pulling up her hood and heading for the door of the med lab. She stopped suddenly, looking back at Robin, unconscious on the hospital bed. "Look after him, ok?" Raven's words were soft, but her tone was as dry and emotionless as always.

"Don't worry, I will", he said gently, watching her go with a knowing look in his eyes. His suspicions had been growing for some time now, and after the events of the last two weeks, he was positive that Ray had feelings for Bird Boy. "Poor Star", thought Cyborg, his heart going out to the little lost Tamaranian.

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Starfire didn't even look up at the sound of a knock on her door. She was buried by fluffy pillows, fuzzy blankets, and all manner of stuffed animals. Despite this cheery setting, tears were rolling down the alien's cheeks.

"Starfire?", came Raven's firm and steady voice from the other side of the door. She heard a wet sob from somewhere inside. "Star?", she asked, hoping the nickname would get a response.

"Please, friend Raven, I do not wish to speak with anyone at this time." In other words, Go away!

Raven sighed. In the past two weeks, somehow the titans had gotten the impression that she could help with emotional issues. It was really starting to wear her out.

"Star, let me in", she said, sounding slightly exasperated; most likely a reflection of her hidden guilt.

Starfire sighed and fought her way out of her bed to open the door. Raven's face stayed unchanged and blank, but inside, she cringed. Starfire's eyes were red and puffy, her hair was tangled and wet from tears, her clothes were crumpled and water-spotted. She looked how Raven felt.

"Can I come in?", asked Raven, her voice softer than usual.

Starfire stepped aside in answer, walking over to her nightstand to get a tissue.

Raven noticed that Star's room had lost its blinding cleanliness. A few wrinkled uniforms lay on the floor, and some tissues had missed the trash. The curtains were closed, giving the room a dismal hue. Starfire had never let her room get like this...until now.

"For what reason did you wnat to speak with me, Raven?", she asked thickly, plopping down on her bed.

"I just wanted to see how you were...feeling." Raven was tense, waiting for the emotional outburst. She didn't have long to wait.

Star burst into tears, throwing her arms around Raven and pulling her into a bone-crushing hug.

Raven gasped for air, wishing herself a thousand miles away. "Uh, Star, I can't breathe", she grunted.

"Oh! I am sorry, I did not mean..." Star cried even harder at the thought of hurting Raven. She buried her face in her hands, sobbing as though her heart would break.

Raven had thought that seeing Robin cry was the most uncomfortable situation she had ever experienced, but somehow this was much worse. She awkwardly patted Starfire's shoulder, hoping she would stop crying soon.

Starfire mumbled half-audible words into her hands, which now had tears leaking between their fingers. "Robin...Oh!...cannot...why? ...failed...love...What can I do, Raven?", she asked, emerging from behind her hands.

Raven took a deep breath, wondering what to say and where to begin. "Robin...he's going through a difficult time right now, Starfire. He's just not himself. We're doing everything we can to pull him out of it, but...The situation is very serious."

"Oh, I am tired of your partial explanations! What is wrong with my boy!?!", she yelled, all the frustration she had been feeling coming to the surface.

Raven flinched at the phrase "my boy". Jealousy forced its way to the front of her waring emotions. She took a deep breath, holding in all the words she would like to fling at Starfire. When she had regained control, she said, "I have told you everything that I know, Starfire. Period. I'm just as confused as you are." Well, that was almost true...

The anger left Starfire as suddenly as it had come. She sat back down, worn out from her tears. "Is there nothing I can do for him?", she asked, intense sadness reflected in her green eyes.

Raven softened at the quiet desperation in her voice. "All you can do is let him know that you are still here, and that you still care about him. That will mean the world to Robin right now." Her voice wavered slightly. She was instructing Star to confess her feelings to Robin, to comfort him...to take her place. There was a hollow feeling in her chest, a space where Robin had been, a space where she felt him slipping out of her reach...

"Are you all right, Raven?" Starfire had come out of her misery enough to see the dark girl's distress.

"I'm fine, Starfire", Raven said, her emotions under wraps once again.

"But, you look so..."

"Drop it, Star. I'm fine", Raven said, her voice biting. She hadn't talked to anyone about this, not even Robin, for heavens sake! She certainly wasn't going to start with Star. Better change the subject. "Would you like to see Robin?"

"I...I think so...", she said, hesitantly. Starfire just wasn't sure if she was ready to face him...the new Robin scared her.

"All right then. Follow me", said Raven, her voice emotionless again.

A few minutes later, they stood outside the medical laboratory. Raven reached for the door, but Starfire held her back. There was a strange look in her eyes, and she struggled for a moment before whispering, "Is he...safe?"

Raven stared at her, shocked and slightly annoyed. She claimed to love Robin, and yet she was afraid of him? On the other hand, Raven had to admit that she might have a valid reason to be. Before she could respond, the door swung open, narrowly missing her.

"Raven, I swear...I just left for a few minutes...he was unconscious..." Cyborg's words were coming in a twisted and muddled rush.

"Cyborg, calm down. What happened?" Raven was doing her best to remain calm, since Cyborg clearly was not.

"I'm sorry, I don't know how..."

"Cyborg! What happened?"

"He's gone, Ray! Robin's gone!"

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_In my opinion, this was a terribly boring chapter and I appologize sincerely. Also, yes...another cliffy...I cannot fight my nature. I promise that the next chapter will be more interesting....read and review! Much love!....er, that was gross....lets try again... Later, -Dusty_


	10. Out of the Frying Pan

_See, I told you that Chapter 10 would be up much sooner. Homework can wait, this is important! I appologize for the last chapter...it was pretty boring but necessary. I think this one is much more interesting ;) Oh, and thanks to Rinagurl13, frosty1567, lady isil, Niki Dee, anonymous and Rain for reviewing my story "Remember to Breathe". If you have time, check it out. I need to know if I can write fluff...it might be a necessary skill for upcoming chapters!_

_Majestical: I really don't like Star much either...but I felt a bit guilty for shoving her to the side, so I thought I should catch up a bit on her. LOL rootbeer is tasty! licks lips_

_frosty1567:I hate math and science! And I feel for you...late night homework sucks! Glad you enjoyed the chapter._

_Madman: LOL you got me there...Rats, I've been outsmarted!_

_the fonix freeke: Yeah, Dr. M. is definately loony. As to whether he took Robin...well you'll see in a bit._

_izzy6392: Sorry...cliffies are just plain engrained in me. And I added quite a bit about BB in this chapter, just for you! :) Lol_

_yellowlightning: Wow, thank you so much! Yes, it's very exasperating for Raven...Robin is very slippery right now. I'm glad you liked the Starfire stuff...I was worried that no one would. Thanks so much for your review, you really encourage me to keep writing!_

_kiddette: LOL sorry...I just couldn't help but gloat a bit...I thought my writing was pretty convincing on that bit. I will keep on writing, and I really appreciate your input!_

_Rinagurl13: Thanks...I'm glad you liked it cause I was worried...it's been written in bits and pieces over this past week. Exactly! Dang Stupid Teachers! This is way more fun than homework._

_tinkerbellx2: I would have to agree with you on that: Star needs to stay away from Robin. Lol you will soon find out.Yes music counts, heck P.E. counts! Even lunch counts! LOL! Sweet, I would like to learn French; it sounds fun. I like English most, but I hate when teachers assign poetry. Creativity should not be forced, and it should definately not have a grade attached to it! Sadly, that is about the only class I like this year. The class that I HATE would have to be Geometry. I can't stand the stuff!_

_Ok then, (wow I say this alot) on with the story!_

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"You there! Stop!", yelled a desperate guard, firing a few rounds from his laser gun. He managed to hit the shadowy individual, but for all the notice it took, he might have thrown a flower at it. "He's got Project X! I repeat, the theif has Project X!", he yelled into his communication device. "Back up! Send me back up!" He fired again as the figure ran for the window. "No...They'd have to be nuts to-" Just before it reached the window, the figure sprang upward, crashing through the glass and disappearing from sight. The guard stared at the broken window. No one could survive a fall from a ten story window. No one.

The mysterious theif let himself free-fall for a few minutes, then shot a grappling hook at the building across from Wayne Enterprises. It caught the roof, and the theif pushed the retract button, jerking himself out of his fall and headed straight for the building. He stuck out his legs to keep himself from slamming into the rapidly approaching wall. The impact was enough to shatter bones, but the theif took no notice. Soon he was on the roof, but he didn't pause to rest or wipe the off the blood that was streaming freely down his face. He ran for the edge of the roof, took a flying leap, and landed on the next building over. His masked eyes stared straight ahead, and he took no notice of his surroundings or the ground below his feet. He was going somewhere, but exactly where that was, not even he could say.

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"What do you mean he's gone?" Robin couldn't have just gotten up and left; from what she had seen, he had lost a lot of blood, and, possibly, broken a few ribs. It just wasn't logical!

"Just what I said, Ray!", Cyborg yelled, stepping aside to reveal the empty bed.

Raven stared at it for a moment, fear overwhelming her. The last time Robin had just "disappeared", she had almost lost him. This realization snapped her into action. "Starfire, Cyborg, search the tower. Get Beast Boy to help you if you can", she instructed, already half way to the stairs.

"Wait, where are you going?", Cyborg asked.

"Into the fire", Raven mumbled, almost to herself.

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"Good, Robin. You have passed your first test. However, you are still far from perfect." Slade looked critically at Robin, taking in his multiple cuts and clearly broken leg. Slade took the miniscule device from Robin's outstretched hand, slightly pleased that his plan was now truly in motion.

"Now, before you leave", he droned, reaching into his utility belt. Slade extracted a syringe and a vial of clear liquid, which he injected into Robin's arm. The Boy Wonder didn't even flinch, just continued to stare straight ahead, shoulders hunched and head ducked.

"I'm afraid that you must be punished for the imperfection of your mission, Robin." Slade raised his metal-gloved fist and brought it smashing into Robin's cut and bleeding face.

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Apparently, Slade had packed up and moved. All that remained of his lair were a few scraps of destroyed equipment, and, here and there, a shred of red and green material. The entire building shook as Raven's fear, anger, and desperation got the better of her. The roof began to cave in, but Raven hardly noticed. She hadn't meditated in days, and she was now a slave to her uncontrolled emotions.

"Surely, a person can only have so many near-death experiences. Robin's luck is most likely running out as we speak." Logic had somehow made herself heard over all the clammering and irrational emotions. Raven collapsed, cradling her head in her hands as the building fell in all around her.

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No matter how many times he was smashed to the ground, Robin stood back up at Slade's command. Doing things this way did not entirely suit Slade's tastes. He preffered to hear Robin's blood-curdling screams, to see him desperately trying to escape, to defend himself...Right now, Robin was no better than a punching bag.

Slade soon tired of punishing Robin. "Well, I have enjoyed your visit, Robin, but I think it's time for you to go home." With these words, the masked teenager turned and walked towards the door. Not even Slade's chemicals could keep him from limping slightly as he used his horribly disfigured leg.

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Raven screamed, trying desperately to control her emotions, and in doing so, control her powers as well. Chunks of concrete were ripping themselves from the walls and ceiling, exploding and crashing all around her in a swirling vortex of fury. She screwed up her eyes, curled in on herself; she had absolutely no control now. The building could collapse right now, and there would be nothing she could do to save herself.

"Raven!" She heard a voice through the howling in her head. She opened her eyes, ligting her tear-streaked face.

"Raven!" Beast Boy was running towards her, dodging the flying rubble. In the infinite space between entering the lair and holding Raven comfortingly in his arms, fear and anger coursed through Beast Boy. This was all Robin's fault. He had done this to her, he had done this to all of them.

"It's ok, Raven. It's ok." He stroked her violet hair, letting her head rest on his shoulder. She was shaking, breathing hard...Raven slowly calmed down, and the debris stopped flying around the room, but the damage had been done. The building was collapsing in on them.

Beast Boy stared at Raven, weak in his arms, and desperately searched for a way out of their impossible situation. "So...I'm guessing you can't use your powers?" Raven lifted her head with difficulty, looking into his dark green eyes. "I'll take that as a no", he mumbled. "I guess we'll have to do this the slow way, then." Beast Boy morphed into a pterodactyl, holding Raven genlty in his clawed feet and flying for the exit, dodging more and more falling chunks of concrete. If he didn't hurry, they would both be buried under several tons of rubble and dirt.

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A scream ripped its way out of his lungs. The pain was so intense; he couldn't see; he couldn't breathe; his brain was a twisted mass...he wanted it to stop...needles and knifes stabbed him...he pleaded for it to stop...

Robin's scream died out, leaving only the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks.

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"Did you hear that sound, friend Cyborg?", asked Starfire, perking up her ears.

"Huh? I didn't hear anything, Star", he said dismissively. His brain was otherwise occupied at the moment. If he had just been there, if only he had stayed put...

"I was quite certain that I heard something from outside this dwelling...", she muttered, walking over to the large window and staring out into the darkness. "I suppose it was merely the wind...", she said uncertainly, returning to the sofa and putting the strange noise out of her mind.

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They had made it out alive, but not unscathed. Raven had several cuts on her arms and legs, and Beast Boy had crashed head-on inot a wall in his eagerness to get Raven out of the soon-to-be-tomb. He rubbed his forehead, wincing as he felt a large goose egg forming on it.

Raven was exhausted and shocked. She had sometimes lost control of her powers, but it had never been this bad before. She could have died, she could have killed someone...But none of that had happened, all thanks to... "Beast Boy?"

"Yeah?", he replied, still fussing over the lump on his forehead.

"...Thank you", she said, sincerely.

A red tinge crept into BB's green skin. "Oh...yeah...It was nothing", he said, his voice squeaking.

Raven smiled weakly...But then the smile washed off her face as she remembered why she had been in Slade's old lair in the first place. "Beast Boy, you were supposed to be looking for Robin", she said, sternly.

Beast Boy's face instantly hardened. "What for?", he retorted, glaring at the ground.

"What do you mean, 'what for'?" There was a warning in Raven's tone, but Beast Boy didn't heed it.

"Why look for him? As soon as we find him he'll just disappear again. And with how he's been acting lately, why would we _want_ to find him?"

Raven glared at the green changeling, anger coming to the surface. Just the fact that he would talk this way about someone he called a friend made her lose a great deal of respect for him. "This coming from the person who told us to lay off of Terra, even after she betrayed and attacked us!" Raven's violet hair swirled as though caught in a gale, her eyes glowed white...

Beast Boy tensed at the mention of Terra's name. A semi-healed wound broke open and began to bleed and ache once more.

The anger in Raven dwindled as seh saw the pain she had caused him. That had been cruel, even by her standards. She wanted to say something, but no words seemed good enough. "Beast Boy...", she croaked, reaching out to touch his shoulder.

He jerked out of her reach, not looking at her. Slowly, jerkily, he walked away, turning his back on what he would not, could not, face.

Raven was frozen, staring after him long after he had slipped out of sight. She shivered slightly as the cold, autumn breeze wrapped itself around her, chilling her to the bone. Rain began to fall, slowly at first, then picking up speed, racing down to Earth and soaking through Raven's cloak. Still she did not move. Everyone she tried to help ended up hurt because of her, her powers were out of control, Robin needed her but she could not help him...She was powerless, useless...What was the point?

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That night, Titan's Tower was filled with regret, sorrow, desperation, anger, doubt, hopelessness...The titans had isolated themselves, wallowing in the emotions that were too powerful to ignore. Every few minutes, something exploded without warning, and sobbing issued from underneath bedroom doors. Misery and chaos reigned...

And somewhere, out in the cold, wet night, Robin lay alone and helpless.

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_Lol Chapter 10, complete. Review and let me know what you think! Questions and suggestions are welcome, flames will keep my toes warm. See you in Chapter 11! Later, -Dusty_


	11. Waking Up

_Warning: This Chapter Contains Higly Depressing Themes! Do Not Read If You Would Like To Feel Happy Today! You Have Been Warned...Read On At Your Own Risk!_

_Well now that that is out of the way...thought I'd give you guys Chapter 11 before I go back to another week of school...sigh. And also, I appologize for the sheer meanness of the last chapter...I think I was mad or depressed or something cuz I read over it and felt horrible...however, it was necessary. Believe it or not, I have got some actual plans for this story, so if I changed the last chapter, I would have to change the whole story. Sad, but true._

_Majestical: Thanks...I was kinda worried about the whole Beast Boy thing...he is pretty easy to write, though. I know it was mean...hides face in shame._

_maroonedpirate11: Robin appreciates your concern. LOL. And, ta da...in comes Mr. Wayne! Oh, and I'll try to remember that life lesson, thanks :)_

_Furubafun24: Wow....thanks...blushes furiously. And I'm glad that you are giving Rav/Rob fics a second chance. And I will do my best to keep things interesting._

_raeandrob4eva: Thank you so much! Can't believe you like my mad mumblings so much.... :) Nice name, by the way...why didn't I think of that lol._

_tinkerbellx2: LOL yes, a hug might help things a bit. Arg, my geometry teacher has these wacko mumblings in his brain...he teaches us from a book that he is writing...so horribly confusing. And if we ask for help, he makes fun of us in front of the whole class and screams his head off...he's a royal butthead. My english teacher makes us enter a poem in the Ed Fair every year...if we refuse, our grade drops 2 letters. She's failed people for not entering a poem.....grrr makes my blood boil. At least we didn't have to write about butterflies, though lol. _

_CloudsHalo: Yeah I wasn't exactly sure what the genres should be...I just put that cuz I didn't really know how it would turn out yet. I'm glad you like how I write Raven...I have alot of fun with her sarcasm. It comes naturally for me lol. Thanks for that bit about Slade...my friends have been giving me greif for how mean he is, but if he wasn't mean he wouldn't be Slade! LOL I don't like Beast Boy much either...he's too annoying. I generally don't like fluff either...I probably wouldn't have put a kissing scene in Chapter 8 if I hadn't wanted to lighten it up a bit. Yes, definately bb/ray fics gross me out except in special cases. Thanks, I'm really glad you like it so far. I try to write when there's nothing else to do in class...helps me get the updates done faster. LOL I like long reviews, and I really appreciate that you took the time to tell me why you liked it...It tells me what I am doing right. Thank you._

_Dannonspring: Whoa slow down there lol. Kiss, possibly...Slade stuff ending...we'll have to see about that. I'm glad you like it!_

_DarkAngel2004: Let me get this straight; You think it's screwed up, but you think it's good and want me to update. I see..._

_Unicorns-baby: That's ok...i understand being tired, believe me! Because Star dismissed it as nothing and the only person she mentioned it to was Cyborg, who was preoccupied. LOL don't we all want to know? I'll give you a hint: It's responsible for all Robin's issues...well almost all. So that Robin will continue to have issues. Honestly, Robin hasn't been conscious enough to figure out what's going on, so no he doesn't have a clue what is happening. Because, in their opinion, Robin is psycho, so they're not likely to listen to someone saying he's not. Yes, I think they will. That is a good question, I hope not! :( We'll have to see. That depends on whether or not they even ask for forgiveness. Very possibly. LOL now that one, I don't know. LOL I like your reviews. It shows that you actually read and understood the chapter. Thank you!_

_Dark-Angels-Tears: I know...that chapter was very mean....cries in shame. I'm glad you like my depressing sort of writing...I have to put all those thoughts and stories somewhere you know. Aww....hugs dark-angels-tears! And you used my nickname! You rock! :) _

_LOL by the way, anyone see the new episode of Teen Titans? Geez it was terrifying seeing Robin as a monkey, and Raven with a cute little fluffy tail was hilarious! Can't wait to see the two-part finale...it's coming on next Saturday. Ok, on with the story!_

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No one was surprised that Mr. Wayne was personally involving himself in the robbery. Project X was a top-secret experiment that had the potential to revolutionize the entire justice system. And it had been just weeks away from presentation.

"Show me the camera feedback from an hour before the robbery", Mr. Wayne ordered calmly. He stood before the giant surveillance screen, hands held behind his back, watching intently. It showed a dimly lit room, empty but for the glass case at it's center. All seemed normal...Wayne's eyes narrowed as a shadowy figure dropped from the ceiling. "Ventilation system", he muttered. And then the first odd thing occured to him: an alarm should have been triggered the instant the theif hit the ground. "Must have disabled it." He watched as the theif walked towards the glass case, illuminated by the faint light surrounding it..."What the...?", he mumbled, eyes wide and disbelieving.

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Starfire was the first to wake the next morning. She rubbed her sore eyes, yawning widely. She crawled out of the blankets, noticing that she had forgotten to remove her shoes before going to bed the night before.

Star let out a little gasp as she looked in her full-length mirror. Her eyes were blood shot and surrounded by dark, puffy circles, her cheeks were red from tears, her hair was matted and tangled, and her clothing was disheveled. "I look...horrible!", she whispered, shocked. Then she remembered Robin, and her appearance was no longer important. She wanted to cry, but it seemed she had used up her alotted amount of tears for the time being.

A tiny ray of hope shone in her mind...Perhaps Robin had come home while she was asleep! Starfire raced for her door, certain that she was about to see him, perhaps coming out of his room or down in the kitchen breaking the fast...He would say good morning, he would smile at her, and everything would be all right again.

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Raven groaned as a ray of sunlight crept through the crack in the curtains and shone on her face. She tried to hold on to the blissful ignorance of sleep, but it was slipping out of her hands like water. She sat up, giving in to consciousness, although she had no reason to be awake... He was gone; Raven knew that now. Her heart turned ice-cold as she went over the events of the last few weeks in her mind... She felt no pain. She refused to feel the pain, even if that meant feeling nothing at all. She would rather be an empty shell than a broken one.

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Batman stepped onto the small island dominated by the huge T-shaped building. He chuckled; subtlety was not one of Robin's strong points. He quickly returned his attention back to the business at hand; he found it difficult to believe that Robin would steal from anywhere, much less Wayne Enterprises...This needed to be settled now.

Batman spotted the entrance and walked purposefully towards it, glancing around as he went. He stopped abruptly as something caught his eye. His eyes widened as he got a better look at what he had seen...black hair, red and green material: all unmistakable. "This just keeps getting better and better", he thought dryly, jumping into the ditch and kneeling beside Robin. The corners of his mouth drew into a frown as he tallied up the visible damage. He took Robin's wrist, pulling off the shredded green glove and feeling for a pulse...Batman picked Robin up with ease and ran to the door, kicking it in. Instantly an alarm siren loud enough to wake the dead blared in his ears. "Well, at least he has a good security system."

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Raven was jerked out of her trance by the wailing of the siren. She jumped off her bed, grabbing her cloak and bursting into the hallway, nearly crashing into Cyborg, who was running for the stairs, Beat Boy close behind him. "Where's Star?", she asked, flying alongside him. "Dunno", Cyborg grunted, flinging open the door leading to the stairs. "Probably already down there."

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Starfire stood there, blinking as though she had just been hit in the face. Who was this strange dark man who burst so rudely into her home?

"Care to explain this to me?", the man asked in a deep, slightly harsh voice.

At first, Starfire was utterly perplexed. Then she saw what, or rather, who the man was holding...She screamed, all the air rushing out of her lungs as though someone had punched her in the stomach. Her head spun, and everything went dark.

"Well, that was helpful", thought Batman, exasperated and more than a little worried. He assumed that it wouldn't be long before the others turned up...And there they were.

Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy burst into the reception hall, ready to attack. They froze, staring at the strange sight before them: Starfire on the floor, Batman, THE Batman standing in the doorway, and...

"Do you have a medical facility?", Batman asked bluntly, skipping the explanation.

Raven was the first to recover somewhat. "Y-Yes", she stuttered, her eyes fixed on Robin. "Come on! Wake up, take him to the med lab!", she commanded herself, trying to pry her eyes away from the sight and wake her brain from the stupor it had entered.

Batman stepped forward, urging Raven towards the stairs. They seemed completely oblivious to the fact that Robin was either dying or... He struggled to be compassionate. "I understand that you are shocked, but right now the priority is getting him medical attention", he said urgently.

Raven snapped out of it and lead Batman up the stairs at a run, trying not to think of anything but the task at hand.

Cyborg hurried over to Star, picking her up gently and carrying her up the stairs to the living room where he laid her on the sofa, bathing her forehead with a cold wash rag.

Beast Boy just stood there, frozen to the spot, dread of what was to come filling his mind. He wanted to say he was sorry, but he had a sinking feeling that it was much too late.

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Nothing. Batman swore under his breath, grabbing the paddles. "Clear!"

Robin's limp body jolted from the flow of electricity, but the line remained flat. "Clear!", Batman yelled, shocking him again.

Raven stared in disbelief. This was not happening, she was just having a dream, a horrible nightmare that she would soon wake from...

"Clear!"

Any minute now...

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Starfire sat up with a gasp, ignoring the ache in her head. "Robin!", she screamed, her eyes darting around the room.

"Whoa, Star. Calm down", said Cyborg soothingly.

"Where is he? He is in danger, Robin is in danger!" Tears streamed down her cheeks. She looked so lost and alone...

Cyborg wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back comfortingly. "Shh...shh...It's ok", he whispered as she sobbed hysterically, mumbling words that he couldn't understand.

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Batman was breathing heavily, glaring at the heart moniter. Raven could see that he was giving up. "No, no...This is _not_ happening!", she told herself, desperately trying to believe it.

His shaking hand rested on Robin's forehead for a moment, pushing his wild black hair out of his face. Haltingly, he took the sheet, pulling it upwards, covering everything that had been Robin once...

Something snapped inside Raven. "No!", she screamed, grabbing Batman's arm. "Once more!", she yelled, past the lump in her throat and the tears in her eyes.

Batman stared at her with eyes that revealed nothing of his emotions, although she knew what he must have been feeling. Slowly, he reached for the paddles. "Clear!", he said once more, almost daring to hope...

First one bleep, then another...His heart was beating. Robin was back.

They were frozen in that moment, both too shocked to even feel relieved. For that infinite space in time, Robin had been truly gone. That fact shook them both to their very foundations.

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Beast Boy stood watching through the small window in the med lab's door, his eyes wide and disbelieving. How could Robin even think of leaving them? Robin was the thing that kept their team together. How could he die on them? BB's fists clenched, upper teeth biting his lower lip. "This is all your fault." The thought wouldn't leave him alone; he could no longer run from the truth. "If you had just showed an ounce of caring for him, he would've been found last night instead of this morning and he wouldn't be...he wouldn't be..." His shoulders shook uncontrollably, a bitter tear or two sliding down his cheeks. "But you can't take it back. You can't make it up to him..." "Robin, I'm sorry", he whispered, his voice shaking and squeaking.

Beast Boy saw Batman pull the sheet upwards... "No..." He was frozen, trying not to believe... But then he saw Raven, leaping forward, jerking Batman's arm away...Raven was a true friend. When everyone else had deserted Robin, she stayed. She fought for him. She was still fighting now, even though there was no hope. Beast Boy saw Raven in a different light that day. He didn't respect many people, but he respected Raven, for her courage, her loyalty, her love...

"It's not too late." Batman shocked Robin's body once more... "It's never too late."

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_I warned you that it was sad, so don't yell at me...You chose to read it. LOL as always, review. Flames are fun to look at. Thoughts and suggestions are not just welcomed, they are desperately wanted! Later, -Dusty_


	12. Explanations

_All right, here we are, chapter 12, all is good._

_Lil' Snippet: Thanks...I usually pay close attention to the dialog, trying to make it flow and whatnot. LOL thanks; sounded like something that BB would do._

_Rinagurl13: I'm glad you liked it :) and yeah, Beast Boy came to his senses...but he is still Beast Boy..._

_Lil' Snippet: I couldn't agree with you more._

_DarkAngel2004: LOL it's fine...I think the f word just puts me in a foul mood...I'm glad you like my story, and I have no intention of killing Robin off...but of course intentions can change... :P_

_raeandrob4eva: Yes, it was a pretty cofusing/odd chapter. I hope this one makes it a little easier to understand...LOL yes your name is great. Love it, love it! And hey you should update your story! It's good!_

_nevermoretheraven: Yeah, I've run across very few fics that are as sad as raeandrob4eva's fics....Just thought I'd warn you that it could be a bit of a damper on your day..._

_Furubafun24: Good, I'm glad you're liking it. LOL you have **no **bananas! Teehee!_

_RavenRobin4ever: Thanks!_

_Estel-Elf-Lover: Aw...thanks! blushes_

_chiclet2021: LOL yeah...realizing that you have been a real jerk to someone that is dieing must really bite.Yes I know what you mean about Cy...I was worried that reviewers would take the Cy and Star thing wrong. To clarify, it was strictly big bro little sis stuff. I will try to work in more Cy stuff._

_Unicorns-baby: I didn't mean to make you cry hides face in shame Most likely. I will try not to. Very possible. Again, most likely. All signs point to "yes". Anything is possible. Now that one is definately a "yes". Ok, I will :)_

_Strixvaria: I'm glad you liked the new chapter. That's a bummer that you couldn't see the new episode._

_Crazyspam: Thanks, that is what I was going for. Arg, I had a feeling that was wrong; thanks for helping me out. _

_tinkerbellx2: Thanks :) Too bad you can't watch the episode (with sound). Can't wait for the two-part finale!_

_Niki Dee: LOL I am evil, what can I say? LOL if one of your friends was talking to themselves and getting themselves injured, starving themselves, etc., would you try to get them help? Sure Cyborg is a bad judge of character, but he was doing what he thought was best. I know...it was quite mean cries and weeps in sadness True, and the ironic thing is that his worst fears came true because of him, or rather, because of the voice. I know...and honestly I felt quite mean... What, did you think I'd leave him in an asylum for more than a day? That would be cruel! LOL what ever you say, deary. NOW there's a scary thought! LOL I didn't call him Bird Boy, Cy did...there's a difference. Starfire calls him "my boy" in Date With Destiny, so it should sound like her. LOL not that I hope to plz the Star lover. Please NO! I'll get rabies! LOL j/k. _

_Niki Dee: Okey day! Sounds good! :)_

_marronedpirate11: LOL yes there you go: batman to the rescue!...er wait that's a superman thing huh? Nope, I have no intention of killing Robin. Nope nope nope._

_CloudsHalo: That is good to know. Wow, thanks! blushes I know...I wasn't going to, but I have a friend who knows quite a bit about batman and she has been educating me on the subject, so I felt confident enough to bring him in. I'm not all that sure yet, but his part could end up being quite big...I mean he's not likely to walk off once he figures out what's going on. I'm so excited about the season 3 finale and I'm really hoping we'll get some good Robin episodes in season 4, even though it is a Raven season...Checked out ur episode list...looks wicked cool! Can't wait!_

_RobinLover: Aw, man! You stole my name...that I would have thought of...eventually...LOL! Sweet, I've found a kindred spirit! Robin is the best! I'm glad you like my story...even though it is kind of mean to Robin...I honestly don't know why I write things out so mean for him...I don't want to hurt him, really! LOL!_

_Hmmm....so there it is....and now.....On with the story!_

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Batman was the first to come back to Earth. If he wanted Robin to be alive for much longer, several things had to happen. "He needs a blood transfusion. O."

Raven revved into action. Now that she had him back, there was nothing that could make her give up on him.

Once Robin's heartbeat was somewhat stable and the massive amount of lost blood had been partially replenished, Batman began to examine him for a more acurate estimate of damage. Robin had several severe cuts on his face, arms, and legs; most looked fairly new but others appeared to be at least a day old. He had, what felt like, three broken ribs and two that seemed to have minor fractures. His nose was broken, and so was his leg, in at least five places. Other than that, massive bruising on just about every part of his body, and some strange scorch marks on his chest and back. Batman recoginized them; it was the result you got when hit with laser beams.

He frowned and let out a low hiss of breath. "Looks like you've been a busy boy", he muttered, before instructing Raven to get him bandages and disinfectants. He struggled to remember everything his godson had told him about the titans. "You have healing powers, correct?"

Raven nodded, digging through a cupboard for the needed materials.

"Well, I hope you're feeling energized."

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Cyborg gently laid Starfire on the sofa, relieved that she had finally fallen asleep. He sighed, rubbing his human eye and staring blankly at the sleeping Tamaranian. He absently wiped tears off her cheeks and brushed her firey red hair off her forehead. His brain felt waterlogged; there were too many facts, too many changes...His best friend was acting completely insane, Raven was too blinded to see what was best for him, and now his removal from the asylum had resulted in all this mess. "But he wouldn't have disappeared if you had been watching." He sighed again, this time out frustration. Over the past couple weeks, he had felt more and more like Robin's babysitter. "What the heck is going on?"

That question had been swirling around in his head for quite some time now.

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Raven's legs wobbled, and she clutched the wall for support. Batman hurried over and helped her over to an armchair, easing her down on it and looking at her with an expression that might have been concern.

Raven breathed raggedly for a moment, slumping weakly in the chair. Sleep deprivation had done a number on her abilities, and her wild emotions were making it very difficult to keep from blowing Robin to bits. She had made hardly any headway on his multiple injuries, and yet she was completely exhausted.

"You should rest. You need to regain your strength." She marveled at the complete lack of emotion in his voice. Even she, who prided herself on cool detachment, was shaken right now. Robin had almost...no, not almost; he _had_ died. How could Batman be so calm and unfeeling? "I'm fine." She flinched slightly. That was Robin's trade mark...what an incredible lie it had been.

Batman raised an eyebrow. He was beginning to wonder if all teenagers were so confouded stubborn. "You won't be any help to him in your current condition. If you really want to help him, you'll take care of yourself." He firmly took her by the shoulders and escorted her out of the room, despite her protests. "Sleep!", he ordered, shutting the door in her face.

Raven was pushed right into Beast Boy, who let out a high-pitched scream of surprise. Raven raised her eyebrow. "What are you doing here? I thought you didn't want anything to do with 'psycho Robin'?"

Her words stung, but he knew he deserved them. Beast Boy stared at his shoes, at a loss for words. "I...I, uh...", he stuttered, rubbing the back of his head.

Raven was slightly surprised; was Beast Boy actually _sorry_ for acting like a total jerk?

"How is he?", he finally managed to ask, voice low and eyes still fixed on the ground.

"Let's think about this for a second. He spent an entire night out in the rain with multiple injuries and open wounds. How do you think he is?", she asked coldy, brushing past him and continuing on to her bedroom.

Beast Boy turned back to the window, staring in at Robin's motionless form. Somehow his brain just wasn't accepting the facts. This was Robin! Their fearless, bossy, obsessive leader who never lost, never backed down, never asked for help. How was this possible? Everything he had seen in Robin lately contradicted with everything he knew about Boy Wonder.

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Batman's mouth was frozen in a permanent frown. All possible explanations were racing through his mind, although none of them appealed to him. If Robin stole Project X, then where was it? Had someone brutalized him to get their hands on the device? But then there was the problem of motive: why in the free world would Robin steal Project X? Why would he steal at all? None of this made sense. The fact that some of Robin's injuries were relatively old gave rise to a whole new wave of questions. What was going on? Was Robin, once again, meddling in things too big for him?

Batman finished bandagings Robin's wounds and set his leg to the best of his ability. The rest would have to wait for Raven. Thinking that Robin was as "all right" as he was likely to get, he left in search of the titans, hoping they could throw some light on the situation.

He nearly collided with the wimpy little green elf. Judging from what Robin had told him, this one was not to be trusted; he could see it plainly from the mischievous glint in his eye. "Can I help you?"

Beast Boy couldn't seem to form a complete sentence. Batman glared coldly at him, making him even more nervous. Being in the presence of Batman, the Dark Knight, the shadowy protector of justice, was incredibly intimidating.

Batman raised an eyebrow and pushed past the annoying little time-waster. He turned back and said, very slowly and clearly, "Where are..." What were their names again? "Cyborg and Stardust?"

"Starfire", Beast Boy mumbled automatically.

Batman narrowed his eyes and ignored the correction. He stood waiting for String Bean to get up the brain power to answer the question.

"Dude! Why is he looking at me like that?", he wondered. Then it dawned on him. "Oh! Er...I don't know..."

Batman struggled to control himself. "Take a wild guess."

Beast Boy was having a hard time thinking, what with Batman's cold stare burning holes in him. "Er...they might be in the kitchen, or the living room, or the ba-"

"Take me to the kitchen", Batman ordered, wondering how Robin could stand associating with this....unique individual on a day-to-day basis.

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Cyborg looked up in surprise as Beast Boy walked in, closely followed by Batman. His heart dropped out of his chest as he saw the sober looks on their faces. "No...Please say he's not..."

"Robin is alive", Batman said quickly. "But for how long..." His voice trailed off as he glanced at the girl sitting cross-legged on the couch; she was the one that fainted.

"Tell me what has been going on", he said, in a tone that suggested he was used to having his orders followed promptly without question.

They were all silent; Starfire because she didn't understand the question, Beast Boy because he didn't know the answer, and Cyborg because he was thinking of all the things Robin would do to him if he ever found out that he, Cyborg, had been tattling to his mentor. But then again, Robin was in no condition to do anything to anyone right now...

Batman glared. "If you expect me to help your friend, I must have all the cards on the table."

"Well...uh, I really don't know all that much about it. Raven has been around him most and I think you could get your answers from her..." Cyborg tensed, wondering if Batman would go for this...There was no way in heck that he would be the one to tell Batman about Robin's...issues.

Batman was getting sick of this little game. Robin was his godson, and he had every right to know why he was lying in a ditch half-dead. However, talking to Raven would most likely be his best option; from what Robin had told him, she was quite gifted and highly intelligent. "Take me to her room", he said to the titans in general.

Since Starfire looked terrified and BB seemed to be in a stupor, Cyborg stepped forward to lead him to The Dark One's room...

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Raven's concentration, already fragile, shattered at the knock on her door. She wasn't inclined to be irritated, however, given the recent events. She opened the door to see Batman, grim-faced as always. "I thought you wanted me to sleep", she said, eyebrow raised.

Batman ignored the statement. "I have some questions, and your friends seem to think that you have the answers."

Raven groaned internally. She knew exaclty what kind of questions Batman had to ask, and they were all messy and uncomfortable. "How nice of them to send you to me", she said, a hint of irritation escaping through her viouce. She comforted herself with the thought of dangly Beast Boy and Cyborg from the ceiling for a while as punishment. "What do you want to know?"

"Simple. Robin has obviously been in some very sticky situations lately. Exaclty what has been going on?"

Raven sighed. The things that she knew for certain about Robin could fit in a thimble. "Honestly, I know very litte about it..."

Batman let out a groan of frustration. "What _can_ you tell me?", he asked, exasperation clear in his tone.

"I can tell you what I have seen from the outside, but not what Robin has been experiencing on the inside."

"That will be fine as a starting point. What exactly have you 'seen from the outside'?"

Raven sighed again. This was going to be long and strenuous. "Well, about two weeks ago, Slade-"

Batman snapped to attention. "What do you know about Slade?", he asked suspiciously.

"He's a dangerous psychopath. For more than that, you would have to ask Robin."

"What does Slade have to do with Robin?" Batman's eyes narrowed.

Raven was slightly surprised. Had Robin told Batman nothing about Slade? "Robin has been fighting Slade for months now. He's something like his nemesis."

Batman growled low. "So that's where that creep crawled off to. He disappeared from the Gotham streets a few monts ago, and I've been trying to track him down ever since." He clenched his fist. "Teenagers fighting Slade! What was he thinking?"

"Hey", Raven said in protest. "We can handle ourselves."

"Oh yes, of course you can! That's why Robin is in such good condition right now!", he said, oozing sarcasm.

Raven made no response. She couldn't argue with the sheer facts. Instead she said, somewhat harshly, "So do you want to hear the story or not?"

Batman was silent for a moment. "Please continue", he said in a forced calm voice.

Raven took a deep breath, and laid out the incredibly long history of Slade and Robin, including Robin's little Red X shinanigan and his period as Slade's apprentice. Batman sometimes interejected with a threatening growl or a difficult question about details, motives, etc., but for the most part, he sat quietly listening. When she reached the part about the dust and Robin's near-death experience at the hands of someone who wasn't even there, Batman was slightly surprised. Then he glared fiercely at the wall of Raven's bedroom, as though this was all its fault. When Raven saw the look in his eyes, she began to fully realize how dangerous this man was. She shivered slightly.

"Well, that explains Robin's condition. But if you knew about this, why were you so shocked when I brought him in? And why was he outside in the first place?", he asked once he regained control of himself.

"Not so fast. That happened about two weeks ago. There's more."

"More?" His surprise quickly disappeared, however, and he listened to the rest of the "story", soon realizing that Raven was telling the truth when she said she didn't know much about recent events. When Raven reached the part about Robin's fits and the asylum, a deep, worried frown fixed itself to Batman's face.

"Yesterday, shortly after I brought him back to the tower, he disappeared without a trace", Raven continued.

"And you say he was injured at this time?", asked Batman gravely.

"Yes. I have no idea how he could have just gotten up and walked away in his condition." Raven sighed ocne again, rubbing her forehead. "And that's all I know. Robin wouldn't tell me anything about what happened while he was in Slade's lair."

Batman nodded knowingly. "You have powers of telepathy, correct?"

"Yes, but exploring Robin's mind while he is in this questionable condition could be...dangerous."

"You are afraid for yourself?", he asked lightly.

She was slightly angered by Batman's question. "Not at all, but if...something was to break through my defenses, I would be useless to him."

He chuckled quietly. "It seems that quite a lot has happened since Robin left", he mused, almost to himself.

Raven blushed, knowing that he wasn't talking about battles with Slade.

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_Well there you have it; Chapter 12. Mostly recapping and explanation (hence the name), but it was necessary. I appologize if Batman seems OoC...I'm still trying to get used to him, with the help of my friend Rusty. Peace everybody! -Dusty_


	13. Losing

_Hmmm....Chapter 13...sorry to those who think this story is too long...and I'm afraid it is still far from over, so if you are bored with it, I won't be offended if you go find something better to do with your time._

_Crazyspam: Batman was supposed to be a bit scary; inspires respect, you know. Thank you, and yes he is not exactly at his best what with all the problems with Robin and the fact that he is blaming himself for them._

_nevermoretheraven: I'm glad you liked it, and it's cool that you saw Haunted. Now things will be a bit less confusing._

_CloudsHalo: Yeah I didn't expect anyone to jump up and cheer for this one; it was one of the emotional chapters, rather than action. LOL you want him to leave and get even more hurt? What are you thinking? LOL. Yeah that's what I was thinking...if I'm going to write Slade I'm going to make him convincing._

_kiddette: It's ok, I understand computer issues. YAY I always wanted to get somewhere...LOL._

_Furubafun24: I'm glad you think I'm doing him justice...LOL hey I want some pizza! _

_raeandrob4eva: Oh, ok. No I didn't think you were flaming, don't worry. Wow thanks, I'm glad I'm doing well. Yes, it was terribly sad...I didn't cry, but that is just cuz I never cry. I came pretty darn close, though. Aw....beams._

_Rinagurl13: I'm delighted to hear that you like it! LOL sorry, trying to think of different ways to say thank you, but yes I really appreciate your reviews._

_the fonix freeke: I'm glad you liked it, but f.y.i., that was NOT meant in a perverted way! That is just plain nasty blushes I'm glad you're liking it, though._

_frosty1567: I figured that if he was finding out all the stuff with Robin and Slade at once he might show a bit of anger...shrug glad you liked it._

_maroonedpirate11: LOL Wow I can tell...just curious, but if you had to choose your favorite, would it be Robin or Batman? I'm sorry...no I will not kill Robin...at least I'm almost possitive I won't...lets just say the ending is still open for discussion._

_Dark-Angels-Tears: LOL yup it's intentional. LOL I will gladly turn up the cynicism...And I am trying to make BB as nice as possible._

_Yaw Dapaah: I'm glad you like it, despite the lack of cheeriness. LOL your wish is my command. You are very welcome! :)_

_AnnFaithDarknessGoddess: I'm glad that you like it...even though it is quite mean...LOL yeah it seems that there alot of Batman supporters out there. That's good...I was a bit worried...didn't want to aggravate anyone by messing up his character._

_Saiya Woods: LOL I'm guessing you still like it, then? :)_

_Strixvaria: I'm glad it was good, and here it is: more story!_

_Estel-Elf-Lover: Wow, I'm glad you liked it...I was worried that it would bore you (my reviewers)._

_Tinkerbellx2: LOL yeah I've had a streak of inspiration lately...People are getting really sick of my notebook; the silly things think I should actually acknowledge their existence! Can you imagine? YAY today is finally the day of the first part of the season finale...anyone else wondering why they put the first episode of season four in between the two parts of Titans East? No I haven't seen The Lost Episode, what was it about?_

_Fugie: Thanks for sharing._

_Unicorns-baby: LOL you really think so? blushes I certainly hope so. Wouldn't that be wonderful? I don't think there is anyway that Robin could get of scot free from this one. Most likely, when he finds out that it is not his fault...but he will probably give him a lifetime's worth of lectures for allowing it to happen. Eventually he probably will. Hmmm...it depends on who gets to Slade first, really. Pretty much. Trust me, I don't want to kill anyone, cept Slade...but I can't promise that it won't happen...._

_So here we are again. Just want to say that I really appreciate all of your reviews :) They make my life bright and sunny....LOL well they do help, at least. Oh, and so you know, I didn't know the names of Robin's parents, so I made them up. LOL now you are all wondering "what do Robin's parents have to do with anything?" Well you will shortly find out. Well....(entire cast, including Slade and Dr. Mathews, intone) On with the story!_

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_Robin smiled proudly; his parents' tightrope act was always amazing. The blaring circus music and flashing lights pumped up the crowd as Anetta and Jonathon appeared on the opposite sides of the rope, taking a bow to acknowledge the uproarious cheers. They cartwheeled along the rope towards eachother, making the audience go wild. They simultaneously pushed up with their hands, springing into the air and landing on their feet. Robin grinned in anticipation: this was the good part. The drum roll started, and the crowd leaned forward in their seats, anxious to see what was coming next. Anetta smiled and blew a kiss in Robin's direction, and he returned it happily. Jonathon made a step with his hands, and Anetta placed her foot daintily on it, stepping onto his hands so that he held one of her feet in each. Jonathon slowly raised her into the air, thoroughly enjoying the gasps and cheers of the crowd. As the music reached a crescendo, he raised her high above his head, as though she was lighter than a feather. Anetta smiled, lifting her arms in triumph..._

_It was then that everything went wrong. No one heard the snap, like that of a giant guitar string, over their own cheers and whistles. The smile was not quite gone from Robin's face when they fell, tumbling through the air towards the brightly colored stage, Jonathon holding Anetta protectively in his arms. The net...They would land in the net and everything would be all right...Robin knew there was no net; there was never a net used in their special performances. It was all over in a matter of seconds, but for Robin, the moment stretched for an eternity, a vast darkness filled with the unknown and the horrible...He didn't cry; his young, maskless eyes were not given that relief. This couldn't be happening, there were never accidents, his parents always checked and double checked every aspect of the every act, until they were positive that everything was safe...His mother beamed at him, tweaking a lock of his wild black hair, his father tossed him high into the air, catching him again and kissing his forehead tenderly...Crushed. Gone. Dead._

"NOOO!!!"

"Robin! Wake up!"

Robin was thrashing and yelling, twisting against the leather straps. Pain seared through his body as the restraints dug into his arms, legs, and chest. So she really was gone. She had deserted him again. He cursed loudly. "NO! Get me out of here! Raven!"

"Robin! Calm down, it's me!" Robin's eyesight began to clear, and he could see a shadowy face above his. He felt a hand on his forehead as pain shot through his head, making him cry out.

"That's what happens when you struggle against restraints that are there for a good reason." The hand was gone.

"Wh-What happened?", Robin asked, teeth clenched against the aching. "Where am I?"

"One, I was hoping you could tell me, and two, you are in Titans Tower's medical laboratory."

"How long have I-"

"This is the eighth day now. You have had a nice long nap." Batman smiled slightly, reaching out and gently pinching one of Robin's toes. "Can you feel that?"

Robin nodded, but stopped as it made his head spin. His next thought was of Raven. The last thing he could remember was the...Had that really happened? "Where is she?"

Batman raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Raven. Where's Raven?", he asked anxiously.

"Oh, Raven. I see. She's hardly left your side for days. I believe she is resting at the moment." He smiled again, fiddling with the various machines that were bleeping and whirring non-stop.

Robin was too dazed to notice the teasing. The pain was slowly dying down, and his brain was functioning a little better now. "But...I still don't understand what happened. The last thing I remember is-" He stopped abruptly. Telling Batman about...that place would not be a good idea.

"You can stop covering up now. Raven told me", Batman said lightly, checking Robin's vital signs.

"What did she tell you?", Robin asked suspiciously.

"Just about everything, but there are some blanks I would like you to fill in for me." His voice was still fairly pleasant, by his standards, but Robin cringed all the same. He didn't think he was up to an interrogation; his brain jus wasn't working well enough to formulate convincing lies quickly.

"First off, I would just like to say that drugs will not solve your problems."

Robin blinked, wondering if he had heard correctly. "What?"  
Batman sighed. "Why am I always right?" To Robin, he said, "I knew you weren't ready to be on your own. The second you are unsupervised, you go around making as many poor choices as humanly possible."

Now that made sense, given that Raven had spilled, but what was that about drugs??? "What are you talking about?"

"I heard about your hallucinations. You can't deny it.", he said, voice becoming less and less pleasant.

It all made sense now. Raven had told Batman about the voice, and his mentor assumed that he was on drugs. Brilliant. "I know what you're thinking, but it's not the truth!"

"By all means, enlighten me. What _is_ the truth?", Batman asked sarcastically.

"You could at least let me tell my side of the story!", Robin yelled in frustration. He instantly wished he hadn't as his head started throbbing again.

"Oh, so now the truth has different sides! That explains a lot. Please don't let me stop you from telling your well-rehearsed side of the story."

Robin fumed silently, knowing that whatever he said would just dig him a deeper hole. "I am **not** on drugs!"

"Oh? Then how do you explain your strange behavoir? Or do you normally converse with invisible people?" Batman didn't believe a word that came out of Robin's mouth. This was just one of his famous evasive maneuvers, and he wasn't going to get away with it. Not this time.

"I don't know, ok?", Robin yelled, eyes squeezed shut against his splitting headache. He breathed deeply for a moment, trying to control his anger. "I've been thinking maybe Slade..." He stopped, lost in thought.

Batman was also slightly calmer. "Maybe Slade what?", he asked gently, hoping to get Robin to tell him without really knowing he had.

"Maybe Slade...I was unconscious, after all...It would have been easy and he had all the time in the world..." Robin continued to mumble like this, eyes turned inwards.

Batman listened for a while, but when absolutely none of it made any sense, he said irritably, "So what's the verdict?"

Robin jumped, snapping out of his trance. "What?"

"What is your conclusion? Or were you just trying to distract me?"

Robin shook his head. "I don't know what happened, but I do know that I am **not** on drugs!"

"Ok. We'll go with that for now, but don't think that means you're off the hook!" Noticing that Robin was in pain, Batman walked over to his IV and gave him a light shot of morphine. He pulled up a chair, sitting next to the bed. "You need to tell me everything you can remember about your time with Slade."

Robin thought hard, trying to clear the fog swirling in his brain...

_"You look as if you had a rough night, Robin. Anything I can do to help?"_

_A fist colliding with his face, pain so horrible he couldn't see..._

"Robin?" Batman was leaning over him, worry in his eyes.

"I don't know...", Robin whispered. He was shocked; if he just thought hard enough, looked at it from enough different angles, the answer was always there. At least, that's how it used to be. Now, everytime he tried to put everything together he ended up with yet another piece that would not fit in. "I don't know anything anymore..."

Batman's concern deepened. Robin just didn't say things like that, _ever_. Something was definately wrong; now he just had to figure out what it was.

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"Azarath Metrion Zinthos...Azarath Metrion Zinthos..."

Raven was in the middle of the best meditation period she had achieved in weeks. Somehow, she was able to keep thoughts of Robin at bay and truly... Raven's eyes flew open, and she fell back to Earth with a bump. She could feel him, feel his pain, feel his misery... "It's probably just another nightmare..." All the same, she grabbed her cloak and, literally, flew out of the room. As she neared the med lab, Robin's emotions switched from sadness to confusion, and now she could feel anger and hurt coming off him in waves...Some sort of arguement?

Raven found that her suspicions were correct as she stopped just outside the door, keeping out of sight. She hadn't expected Batman to bombard Robin with questions when he was still so weak... Maybe she shouldn't have told him so much. "Batman is not an easy person to lie to", she thought, attempting to dispell the guilt that just would not go away. She had a bad feeling that Robin was not going to like being tattled on, as he would see it, but if Batman could help him, Raven would take whatever was coming; it would be worth it.

She stood outside the door, watching Robin yell in frustration and Batman continue to push him. Finally her curiousity got the better of her, and she opened a tiny hole in the wall, through which she could hear everything that was said in the room.

"I am **not** on drugs!", Robin yelled, groaning and screwing up his eyes.

Raven's eyes widened in shock; that's what Batman got from their discussion? She had considered the possibility of Slade causing Robin's problems, she had even considered the possibility that he was...not all there upstairs, but she had _never_ thought that Robin was doing it all to himself. Somehow it just didn't seem like something he would do...But then again, Batman had known Robin much longer than she had; maybe there was something in his history that he had never shared with her...

There was an unsettled silence in the room; Robin was staring blankly at the wall and Batman was staring at Robin with a worried frown on his lips. Raven decided that it was now safe to enter. "So you've finally decided to join the living", she said, announcing her presence.

"Raven!" Robin jumped in surprise.

Batman wasn't shocked at all. "I'm assuming you heard everything?", he asked calmly.

Raven blinked for a moment. If she didn't know any better, she would say that Batman possessed powers like her own. "Not all of it, but I got the basic idea."

"And do you believe him?", Batman asked.

Raven looked uncertainly at Robin, asking a question with her eyes. He shook his head vigorously, but stopped immediately, wincing. "Yes, I believe him", she answered, looking Batman in the eyes.

He nodded. "All right then. We'll take your word for it, but if I ever find-"

"I know", said Robin wearily. "You won't."

"Good, but now there is still the problem of what _is _happening. I understand you spent some time in a mental ward?"

Robin's face instantly hardened, becoming an impenetrable fortress. He refused to look at either of them, but stared at the ceiling with a stubborn set to his mouth. He would _never_ talk about that place. How could Raven have let them take him?

Batman saw the look, and sighed. "If you ever want to get this resolved, you have to tell me everything you remember. Even the smallest detail could be important."

Robin's jaw and fist were clenched, his whole body shaking uncontrollably. "Get away from me", he growled in a voice not his own.

Batman's eyes were wide with shock. "Robin-"

"Shut up! You say you want to help me, but you lie! Where were you when I needed you? Where?", Robin yelled, breathing hard and glaring at the man he had once called father. Batman recoiled, staring at his godson in disbelief.

Raven attempted to calm him down. "Robin, this will not solve anything. Batman is-"

Robin's fierce glare was now turned on her. "You! You knew it wasn't right, but you let them take me! You told them to take me! You betrayed me!!!" He was shaking and groaning in pain, as though every word hurt tremendously.

All the guilt that Raven had been feeling welled up ten-fold in her chest. "Robin...", she pleaded, hoping that somehow he would forgive her.

"No! I'm sick of your lies! I trusted you and you stabbed me in the back! You..." His voice died suddenly, but his body continued to convulse, chest heaving. He started mumbling to himself, eyes darting around the room as though looking for someone. "I don't like being alone...hate it...Hate it! No! I...I don't believe you...Stop!" He thrashed against the restraints, hot tears making their way down his cheeks. "Shut up...Shut UP!!!", he screamed, mouth twisted in a grimace of pain, tensed and shaking wildly...Suddenly his body relaxed, going limp and sobbing weakly, apparently unaware of the two witnesses.

Batman and Raven could only stare in horror, both struck dumb. Batman was stunned; he had no idea what to do, what to think...

Robin's sobs died out slowly, and his heartrate eventually slowed, but he kept his eyes tightly closed, as though hiding from the world. The line between reality and the voice was becoming harder to find in the darkness and fog.

Batman gently touched Raven's shoulder, nodding towards the door. Raven followed him shakily, stepping into the hallway and waiting for him to reveal his plan, to tell her what was happening and how it could be treated, to make all the problems disappear.

Batman watched her gravely, a strange look in his dark it be fear? "This has changed everything...I'm taking him to the Batcaves."

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_Arg, this chapter made me sad while I was writing it. Arg I just watched the new Teen Titans episode....and I'm going to KILL Cyborg!!!! How could he just desert the team like that???? What the heck was he thinking???? Has he lost his mind????_

_....Ok, I feel a bit better now. Seeya next time! -Dusty_


	14. In Motion

_Do NOT watch this program!!! It will liquify your brain!!! Er...I mean...Hello, and yes I know that I am evil...the block...it paralyzed my mind! LOL anyway, the next chapter is at last complete!_

_kiddette: LOL yes what was Cyborg thinking??? Glad you are liking it._

_SOVEREIGN LORD OF CHAOS: Aw... -blushes- thanks :) Yes, how will Slade get stopped? Oh, and the length of the story...I am afraid that it turns out that it is almost over...finally worked out all the kinks. I am very glad that you like it!_

_chiclet2021: I'm glad I'm doing good with Sir Bat...and yes, poor Raven. Yeah I know he'll come back, but the fact that he left...LOL Robin and I had the same look on our faces, it was pretty funny. LOL yes reinitiation...hmm...wonder if Robin had to go through that when he came back from Slade..._

_Bobbiann116: Yay! I'm glad you like it! I know he's going home, but just deserting like that! Cheese!_

_Unicorns-baby: My crystal ball says not for much longer. The Batcave has WAY better technology, it is much more equipped than Titans Tower. Hmm...you shall soon see. I am thinking...very very soon. LOL I think he deserves to! J/K, Robin will probably forgive him...eventually. It will all be over soon. It wouldn't necessarily weaken or get stronger...why that is will be explained later on. LOL this is almost done, but hey we could write one together later, why not?_

_CloudsHalo: LOL yes...darkness...good, unless of course Slade is lurking in it... -shudder- LOL yes I confess that in this story I have gotten quite attached to Robin, more so than before that is. Causing him pain causes me pain..if that makes any sense...Well you are in luck! I'm glad you like it. Yeah...I think him having issues because his leader asks him to do something intelligent is wacked...he needs to have a heart to heart with his ego and work things out. Now don't get me wrong, I like Cyborg, but deserting the team just was NOT a cool move. Yeah I watched it. Twas funny!_

_Dark-Angels-Tears: Glad you liked it...and yeah Batty is a good daddy...mostly...just has some rough edges, but hey, who doesn't? I feel for Robin too!!!! :(_

_Rinagurl13: It will all be over soon. Aw.... -blushes-_

_Lil' Snippet: Yeah, I hear you. I regret that I haven't been able to develop his character more in this story...it has been basically jam-packed with well...misery. -Blushes furiously- Thanks...I figured that is what just about any parent would think if their kid was having...hallucinations. Yay I got you to read! -does a happy dance-_

_tinkerbellx2: First off, thanks so much for reviewing my other little stories! No one seems to visit those these days...but yes I really appreciated your comments :) Yup, mind control. He DID leave, told Robin to go jump off a cliff basically ARG! LOL he sang at the very first. Me neither..very confusing. Oh, I see... LOL I'm glad you like it.... -blushes-_

_raeandrob4eva: LOL yeah the theme song was funny...and people say Robin has an inflated ego! Ok, ok...he's not gross...but Raven should be with Robin dang it! LOL I'm just teasing...Exar is ok. _

_Saiya Woods: Yeah, I know he'll come back, but he totally blew Robin off, and deserted his team!!! So not right! And, uh, I would watch with or without Cyborg..._

_Strixvaria: That's a bummer that you missed the new episode...Glad you liked the chapter!_

_Estel-Elf-Lover: -Blushes furiously-....Thanks :)_

_nevermoretheraven: Yeah I've seen Divide and Conquer..."Yeah, he's four feet tall and smells like cheap hair gel!" Lmao!_

_Niki Dee: LOL I knew you would like it...something just told me you would like it... See, the voice was telling him that he was alone, that no one cared, etc...Didn't ever really explain that, did I?_

_Furubafun24: -Smiles sweetly- I'm glad you like it...reviews like yours make my day! LOL yeah mas and menos are cute...they should totally have subtitles though! The only thing I understood was when Speedy said "not bad" and they said something like "is he crazy? its fantastic!" LOL._

_RavenRobin4ever: Yeah, you wouldn't think that Bumblebee would get hypnotized...I guess she could be faking... -shrug- glad you like my story!_

_Raving-Lunatic: Whoa..... -hides face in happy embarassment- Thanks, I really like writing Raven...I'm glad I'm doing a good job of it. Thanks :)_

_maroonedpirate11: Yes, how could he??? LOL ok just curious..as long as it's equal...no Batman favoring! LOL I'm just teasing. LOL I can tell (about the sugar high that is). _

_So anyway.... (robin yells: if you say that again, I won't be responsible for my actions!!! dusty: -giggles-) On with the story!_

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Slade studies his interlocked fingers, listening calmly to the weakling's lies and flattery. When his voice had finally stuttered to a halt, Slade slowly turned to face him. "You recall your assignment, Mathews?"

"Sir, I-"

"Answer me", ordered Slade in a venomous hiss.

"Yes, sir." Mathews was sweating profusely, every muscle tensed as though hoping that would somehow save him.

"And did you complete your assignment?" Slade's voice was no more than a whisper, but Mathews cowered as though he had shouted the question.

"But sir-"

Slade lashed out in a lightning strike, fist colliding with the minion's chest and sending him flying inoto a wall. Mathews curled up on the ground, whimpering and mumbling incoherently. Slade walked over to him, crouching down and forcing him to look up. "Did you complete your assignment?"

"N-No", Mathews stammered, trembling in horror.

"I don't think you understand how serious your situation is." Slade stood, reaching into a compartment of his utility belt and withdrawing something that glinted in the dim light of the warehouse. "I do not tolerate failure."

Mathews stared up at the barrel of the gun and the cold face behind it, mouth dry and lungs paralyzed.

"Goodbye, Mathews", droned Slade, his words echoing off the walls and reverberating in the doctor's mind.

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Raven stared at him, her hands cold and clammy, her heart beating painfully in her chest. Robin hadn't acknowledged anyone since the incident. He just stared blankly ahead, sometimes mumbling words that didn't make any sense, sometimes groaning and shifting in pain. This person was not the Robin she had grown used to, the Robin she had come to....be good friends with. She kept asking herself over and over where that Robin had gone...She had a feeling that he was there somewhere, buried under a universe of pain and suffering...With a painful sense of loss, she wondered if he would ever come back.

"I think it's time to go", said Batman gently, resting his hand on her shoulder. She nodded, pulling up her hood and turning to face him. "I'm coming with you."

Batman started to protest, but the eyes shining underneath her hood were determined. He sighed, loaded down with everything that had been happening. "Fine, but I hope you understand that everything you see and hear must-"

"Must be kept secret", Raven finished. "Don't worry, I won't tell on you."

The corners of Batman's mouth twitched upward for a moment, then quickly dropped back down. Amazingly enough, she was starting to grow on him. "I'll hold you to that."

Raven took a small piece of folded paper from her pocket and placed it carefully on the table next to Robin's hospital bed. "This is going to feel a bit strange, but don't worry; I know what I'm doing." With that, she engulfed Robin and Batman in her dark aura, and all three vanished into thin air.

After a short trip to shore, courtesy of Raven, Batman gave her directions to Gotham, where they found the Batmobile. Luckily, it was a short distance from the Batcave. Robin's feet were on Batman's lap and his head was on Raven's: not exactly the most comfortable seating arrangement.

"We're almost there", Batman announced. "Close your eyes and keep them shut until I give you the word."

Raven closed her eyes, but her fingers continued to stroke Robin's forehead absentmindedly. He was asleep now, but he still groaned and winced when they hit a bump or took a sharp turn.

"You can look now."

Raven opened her eyes, and her mouth dropped open in awe. They were in a huge cave, full of the whirring and beeping of countless machines of all kinds. There was a huge super computer, a hospital bed surrounded by all necessary medical equipment, and who knows what else? Raven would never again feel proud of Titans Tower.

Batman was watching her shocked face with a small smile. "It's not much, but it's home."

Raven recovered from her shock and levitated Robin onto the hospital bed she had spotted earier, wondering how many times he had occupied that bed before...the thought was unsettling, and she realized with painful clarity exactly how much she didn't know about the Boy Wonder.

"Turn around", said Batman, appearing at her side. She obeyed, facing away from the bed as Batman went through the lengthy process of hooking Robin up to the various machines. Raven allowed her eyes to wander freely over all the strange equipment filling the huge room. What she saw was a satisfying amount of ways to distract herself from teh tsunami of questions and possible answers that threatened to come crashing down on her. If she didn't think, didn't feel, didn't admit, who was to say that it wasn't all just a dream?

"Done", said Batman, and she slowly turned back to the bed. Raven saw that Robin was awake again, staring blearily around the room.

"No! Why am I here? I'm not supposed to be here!" He looked to be preparing himself for movement.

"Actually, you are exactly where you should be", said Batman, strapping Robin to the bed.

"But...they need me back at the tower! What if Slade-" He flinched involuntarily, and fell silent.

"Oh, yes. Slade doesn't stand a chance!", Batman muttered absently, sticking a needle into Robin's arm and extracting a syringe-full of blood.

"You don't need to...I'm fine...I don't want...", Robin stuttered, an overwhelming confusion making complete thoughts impossible. Batman paid him no mind, merely continued doing whatever the heck he was doing; Robin was caring less and less about what happened or what was said...He bit his lip as pain built in his head...

"Does he need a pain killer?", asked Raven, staring at him in concern.

Batman looked up, instantly serious. "Robin?"

Robin was shaking, biting harder and harder on his lip, a trickle of blood running down his chin. He could feel a scream fighting its way out of his lungs... "My head...What's...Why does it..." All thought stopped as the pain reached such a pitch that he could hold it back no longer...He screamed, so loud he could feel his throat tearing, his ears ringing...

Batman swore, jumping forward and leaning over him. "Come on! Breathe! You can take it, Robin! Just breathe through it!", he instructed, shouting to be heard over his godson's screams.

Pain pulsed through his brain...All he wanted was for it to stop. He didn't care how, he just wanted it all to stop...Through the howling in his mind, he half-heard someone speaking... "Come to me, Robin. Come, Robin..."

"Robin? Robin, can you hear me?" Raven reached out and took his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "Please no", she thought desperately, asking some unknown being for help. "Not now, not after all he's been through...all _we've_ been through. Don't take him...Don't take him from me..."

Robn squeezed back, holding onto Raven as though she was his link to life itself. He could feel himself slipping... "Come, Robin. I haven't got all day." ...The room was fading out... "Hold on, Robin! Hold on!" ...The pain was leaving him... "No! Robin, stay awake! You have to stay awake!" ...Emptiness... "It's time..."

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Batman cursed as Robin went limp. His heartrate, dangerously fast no more than a minute ago, had dropped far below normal.

"What happened?", demanded Raven. "What's going on?"

Batman was silent because he didn't have the answers to her questions. He sighed, walking over to the supercomputer.

Suddenly, Robin's masked eyes snapped open. Before either could react, he jerked his arms forward, snapping the thick leather restraints like flimsy strings. Robin did the same with the straps on his chest, legs and feet, and in seconds he was out of his bed, the various tubes and wires dangling uselessly from the machines, and racing for the exit.

"Robin! Stop!", Batman yelled, racing after him. He shouldn't even be able to stand, much less run..."Something must be controlling him", he thought, only becoming more and more anxious. "Slade is behind this, he must have given him something..."

"Robin!" Raven reached out and grabbed his arm, too stunned to use her powers. With lightning speed, Robin whirled around and slammed his fist into her face, sending her flying straight into Batman. A few seconds later, they were on their feet, Batman slightly dazed and Raven sporting a bloody nose, but there was no sign of Boy Wonder.

Batman swore under his breath for the third time in ten minutes. He ran to the Batmobile, vaulting over the door and calling to Raven, who was still shocked from the punch, "Get in."

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Beast Boy made his way past the doors of the training room, evidence room and computer lab, on his way to see Robin. To show that he was truly sorry for how he had acted, Beast Boy was making regular visits to the med lab, certain that his friend would wake up any day now. When he came within a few feet of the door, he burst out, in a sing-song voice:

"Oh Robin's a twit so crazy,

He'd make a better daisy.

With soft little petals

He'd earn lots of medals.

Oh Robin, the boy so crazy!"

He said the last line dramatically as he flung open the laboratory door, waiting for the applause...It didn't come. "Huh?" The room was empty. No Robin. No Batman. No anyone. Where had they gone? Beast Boy slowly entered the room, walking over to the bed that was still unmade. Why would they just leave? Robin hadn't "disappeared" again, had he? But that wouldn't explain Batman's absence...He leaned on the bedside table, flustered at how much thought he was wasting on Robin's location. "Hold the phone!", he muttered, lifting his hand to reveal a small piece of folded paper. Now Beast Boy could never resist the urge to snoop, so, with a glance around the empty room, he unfolded the note and read:

Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire: I can't tell you exactly where Robin and I are right now, but you can be sure that he is safe. We are trying to learn the cause of his strange behavior, and hopefully find a way to reverse the affect. I will contact you as soon as we know something. -Raven

"Whoa! Dude, Batman carted Robin off to who knows where? Gotta tell Cyborg!", he said, racing for the door with the note flapping wildly in his hand.

"Dudes! Cy, Star! Get in here!!!" He gave a five-second time allowance for a response, then reached for the emergency alert button hidden behind a panel in the wall, ignoring the many "KEEP AWAY, BEAST BOY!" signs plastered to the wall around it. About five minutes later, a wind-blown Starfire and an oily Cyborg appeared in the hallway.

"For your sake, B, I really hope this is a _real _emergency!", said Cyborg in suppressed rage.

"You wound my pride!", exclaimed Beast Boy, using his word-of-the-day. He stood there, smiling pleasantly and pretending not to notice his teammates angry glares of impatience.

"Beast Boy, if you do not tell us why you did the pushing of that circular device, i shall hoagie you with a Morflarp!", Star said angrily. Cyborg clenched his artificial fist threateningly, advancing on the green shape-shifter.

"Ok, ok! Keep your shirt on!", said Beast Boy, fearing for his health. "Ok, so I was on my way to the med la, after eating an all-tofu lunch, which was delicious by the way-"

"Cut to the chase!!!", yelled Cyborg, all patience gone.

"All right, all right! Just trying to juice it up a little! So anyway, I was going to visit Robin, but when i got there, he was gone! Poofed! AWOL! Missing in action! Absent! Va-"

"B, would you do us all a favor and SHUT UP!?! Robin's gone? If this is a joke, you are one dead little vegetable!" He shoved past BB, bursting into the med lab. He froze, amazed that for once, Beast Boy was telling the truth. Of all the times for him to be honest, why did it have to be this one?

"I found this on the table", said Beast Boy quietly, handing the note to Cyborg. He read it quickly, a frown creeping across his face.

"She'll 'contact' us? Oh, no! I am _not_ waiting around here for Raven to get good and ready to let us know what's going on! Who does she think she is, ordering us around! It's like she decided to take over for Robin, or something!" Cyborg fumed silently for a moment while Star and BB looked on cautiously. "That's it, y'all. We're going to get to the bottom of this!" With that, Cyborg ran out to the garage, revving up the T-car and waiting impatiently for his fellow titans to catch up.

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Slade smiled icily as Wonder Boy made his appearance. He was so close now...after months of unsuccessful planning, the titans were almost in his grasp. Everythign was perfect, aside from that slight...bump in the road, but it was smoothed over, and due punishment had been administered. Slade chastized himself silently for putting any part of his mission in the hands of another; he had set himself up for difficulty in doing so.

"No matter", Slade droned, his voice echoing off the empty walls. He glanced at Robin with the cool certainty of ownership. He was in costume, right down to his utility belt. A smile crept onto Slade's cold face behind the one-eyed mask. "The bait is secured, the pieces are in motion, the Titans end, and my beginning, is at hand."

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_Well, there you go. Sorry if you didn't like it...if you don't like itI will cry because I worked so hard on it! Oh, and thanks to my good friend ChubbyBuddy for the limerick. Check out her story, it is HILARIOUS! Later, peoples. -Dusty_


	15. Ignorance is Bliss

_Hi, hi! LOL...next chapter, get it while it's hot! Er...yeah..so anyway..._

_DarkAngel2004: LOL wow I'm up there with chocolate cake? I'm honored, truly! I'm hoping that this chapter will help your confusion._

_raeandrob4eva: Wow... -blushes- thank you so much...I'm really glad you like my story so much!_

_SOVEREIGN LORD OF CHAOS: Thank you...Having someone like my story makes it ten times more fun to write!_

_AnnFaithDarknessGoddess: Yes, I feel bad for Robin too...it will all be over soon though. Yes, Raven is quite frustrated, more with herself than anyone else, because she can't seem to help him. Yeah, that's why I sent him there...and yes Batman is quite brilliant...LOL. The fic is almost over...but I plan on continuing to write other things._

_Raving-Lunatic: LOL she probably would come across Slade's presence, which is most likely the reason that she isn't searching his mind. Now seriously, she hasn't entered his mind because she feared that something was controlling him, something that could take over her if she entered his mind, and of course that wouldn't be a good thing._

_CloudsHalo: Thanks :) Oh, I haven't read any of the comics or anything, all I knew was that on the show, when Robin wasn't there, Cyborg seemed to take charge. Also, judging by the way he freaks out when Robin gives an order, I figured he wouldn't like being bossed around by Raven. Yeah it was hilarious! I checked out your bio...BB gets a job??? That should be interesting...One question: why in the free world would Slade go after Raven??? And did anyone else notice the Raven/Robin stuff in Bunny Raven, or was it just me imagining things?_

_tinkerbellx2: LOL yeah...I've terrified a couple of my friends with that fact...LOL nah, he uses that word all the time. Yeah I heard about that...still wondering why he would though._

_DeMoN4EvA: Aww...thankies. Well, he's been being nicer about the whole Robin thing, but hey BB is still BB. _

_Dark-Angels-Tears: Yes yes he is. I was fairly certain that no one would miss Mathews if I disposed of him. LOL my word of the day is cheese. Well, cheese, they were worried because there was some kind of emergency that BB wouldn't tell them about. Cyborg was working on the T-car (oily) and Starfire was taking Silkie for a walk (wind-blown). Ok...-sniffs-_

_Rinagurl13: True, they made alot of wrong guesses before finally getting it right. Urg, I'm sorry...We just had a beastly Geometry test...I think I passed, but I guess I won't know till he corrects them :(_

_Unicorns-baby: He chose a gun because it is quick and easy...He didn't want to torture Mathews, just to get him out of the way. Wouldn't Robin know how to deactivate all of those security systems? He would track him on his communicator. They are also going to track him on Raven's communicator. It is an effect of...well all will soon be revealed. He doesn't need to...you will understand shortly. Can't answer that yet. Or that. It was just the first thing that came to her mind. Not sure why, but I'm not allowed to get into the whole emailing thing...sorry._

_fairygodmother440: I'm glad you like it. Sorry, I'm not allowed to email and stuff...don't know why, but that is how it is._

_nevermoretheraven: Yeah Winner Take All was good._

_Aeris-Raven: Glad you liked it. LOL yeah he can kick their butts!_

_Strixvaria: Glad you liked it._

_Niki Dee: LOL thanks...those were all typos, I just typed it up fast so I made a couple errors. I'm glad you liked it, and yes she gave me permission to use it. Nah I'm not ending it yet._

_Furubafun24: -Blushes like crazy- Yeah he better come to his senses. I'm sure glad that you like my story!_

_Aeris-Raven: A lot is about to be revealed. Yeah, Raven and Batman are alot alike. Thanks for reading!_

_RavenRobin4ever: Thanks. I was just saying maybe she was faking in Titans East part 1, where she appeared to be under Blood's control...Yeah mas and menos rock!_

_Ok then... (cyborg: don't even try...) Let's continue! (Robin: -stares in shock- You...didn't say it! Dusty: well, if you want me to...) ON WITH THE STORY! (all: groan)_

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"I've got him", said Raven, holding up her communicator to display the small, blinking "R". It wasn't moving, a fact that made panic rise in her throat, choking her. Raven guided Batman through the narrow, twisting streets on the outskirts of Gotham, clinging to her seatbelt as the tires squealed loudly at every turn.

Batman was glaring fiercely at the road, as though his enemy was already before him. His massive fists had the wheel in a death grip, and his foot pressed harder on the pedal. He was furious with himself. What kind of a guardian was he? His charge had escaped right under his nose, injured and unstable...How could he let that happen?

"Uh...I'm worried about Robin too, but I'd like to point out that we won't be much help if we crash on the way there." Raven's voice was calm, but her entire body was tensed as they went flying around corners, narrowly avoiding the odd car.

Batman continued to glare ahead, showing no signs that he had heard Raven.

"Stop!", yelled Raven.

"Look, if you don't like my driving, you can just-"

"No!", Raven interjected. "We're here."

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With a low chuckle, Slade released his mental hold on Robin. The Boy Wonder instantly fell to the floor, panting in the momentary numb of shock. Then the first wave hit him. Slade laughed as Robin screamed, clutching his head and convulsing. Intense pain shot through his leg and chest, but it was barely noticable compared to the agony in his brain. Slade watched his every move, thriving on his pain, Robin's weakness becoming his strength. And to think this child had thought he could defeat him! Robin was just another toy, something to amuse him. But Slade was getting tired of beating this defenseless creature. He wanted a challenge! He wanted to see that fire that kept Robin fighting, against all odds. "What's this? Have I won, Robin? Do you surrender?"

Robin clenched his jaw, growling as anger welled up inside him, vying with the pain for control. Slowly, painfully, he pushed himself to a crouching position, wincing as pain lanced through his chest. He remained still for a moment, fighting to stay off the ground. Bracing himself, he pushed off the concrete, putting weight on his broken leg for the first time. He cried out, crumbling back to Earth, his face contorted in pain.

Clapping echoed through the spacious building, ringing in Robin's ears, taunting him. "Bravo, Robin. A commendable effort, but you are still not good enough. No matter how hard you try, you remain a failure. You have failed yourself, _Dick_."

Robin's eyes widened behind his mask. How did he know? _No one_ knew his name, not even the titans! How could he possibly know? "My name is Robin. I have no other", he whispered.

Slade laughed, throwing his head back in complete amusement. The sound bounced off the walls until it seemed that a hundred Slades were laughing at Robin, mocking him. "Your name is Richard, or Dick, Grayson. Your parents died in a freak circus accident when you were eight."

"No!", screamed Robin, clamping his hands over his ears. "My name is Robin! I have no other!"

"Millionaire Bruce Wayne took pity on you, miserable, defenseless creature that you were, and took you to live with him at Wayne Manor." Slade said each word slowly and clearly, as though trying to cause as much pain as possible.

"Shut up! My name is Robin! I have-"

"And then there is Batman. You've been his obediant servant for years now, taking orders, obeying commands, letting him kick you around. That is when you became Robin, the brave, confident hero who never lost and never backed down. Robin is your lie, Dick. The shield you hide behind. Your protection."

"My...My name is Robin..."

"That mask hides what you truly are, Dick", whispered Slade, crouching down beside the violently shaking teenager. "Under that mask, you're just an average fifteen-year-old. Under that mask, you are weak...afraid. Without Robin, you are nothing. And you know it." Slade's mask was barely an an inch from Robin's face, his breath hissing through the air slits.

Robin was still now, breath coming in uneven gasps, eyes staring up at Slade. He was...right. It was all true. He had failed. He had failed Batman, failed the titans, failed his city. His eyes burned with bitter tears. "I hate you." Somehow saying those words out loud brought him some relief. "I hate you!"

"You hate me because you hate yourself, Dick. We are one and the same. It would be wise to join me now, Dick. If you refuse, I'm afraid I will have to dispose of you", Slade hissed in Robin's ear.

Robin glared, pure hatred shining in his masked eyes. "I'll die first!", he yelled, spitting in Slade's metal face.

Slade jerked back, somewhat surprised. He regarded the boy with an icy glare. "That can be arranged."

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They had no sooner screeched to a halt in front of the delapidated building than a blue and silver car appeared inches from them. The two vehicles' passengers jumped out at the same time, staring each other down.

"Why didn't you tell us?", shouted Cyborg, exasparated at being kept in the dark by Shadow Boy and Goth Girl.

Raven opened her mouth to retort, but Batman cut in. "I'm afraid your petty arguements will have to wait. If you want to save your friend, follow me. If not, get out of the way." Batman seemed to feel that even the short amount of time spent giving this instruction was too much. With a whirl of his cape, he turned and walked, quickly but cautiously, towards the building.

"Dude, what happened? Where's-"

Batman's hand shot out, covering Beast Boy's mouth. "Do not speak. There could be-" Batman's whisper halted as a Slade-like robot dropped down in front of them, pulling out a laser gun. Beast Boy hardly had time to squeal before the android was smashed on the ground, Batman standing calmly over it. But that was not the end of it.

"Titans, ready!", yelled Cyborg, but they were already fighting, following Batman's lead. He grumbled slightly, then threw himself into the swarm of robots.

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Slade stood with his metal boot pressed lightly to Robin's head. He could kill him now. There was nothing stopping him. The boy had played his part, now he was completely expendable. So why wasn't he dead? Why was Slade sparing his life? Robin was an obsession, a fascination, something to be studied and observed. Even with all that Slade knew, he had an uneasy feeling that there were still many layers he had not even penetrated yet... Try as he might, he couldn't kill Robin. There was infinite possibility and potential in this exceptional youth. How could he dispose of something so like himself?

Robin was shaking. No, not from fear, he did not fear death, but from rage. He had never hated anyone so much. There was nothing he would like better than to see Slade die, slowly and painfully, broken and weak and afraid, to make him feel a tiny part of what he inflicted so carelessly. At the same time, Robin was furious with himself for losing, for succumbing to Slade's mind games, for the fact that he had no idea why he was here or what was happening. A reckless abandon had him in its grip. "What's the matter, Slade? Gone soft?", he growled through the pain.

Slade smiled. So the fire was not quite smothered. "Dangerous behavoir, Dick. Your position is far too serious for useless threats and bluffs. You are gambling with your very life, but it is not the only one that hangs in the balance." Slade watched Robin tense as his words sank in. He may not care about himself, but his friends were a different.

"Where are they? If you touch them, if you get anywhere near them, I swear I'll-"

Slade laughed low. "I'm afraid you no longer have any say in the matter, if you ever did. In fact, it is thanks to you that my plan is being carried out as we speak."

Robin felt a horrible jolt in his stomach. "Wh-what are you talking about?"

Slade finally removed his foot, crouching down to Robin's level. "Don't you remember, Dick?"

Icy dread was filling his mind, paralyzing his body and pushing everything, even the pain, back into the shadows. "I...I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Of course. You wouldn't know, would you? I suppose that means you don't remember stealing this for me?" He held something in front of Robin's masked eyes.

Robin stared at it, trying to get his eyes to focus. What he saw was a small device with a screen and tiny keyboard, strange symbols on each button. Dangling from each side of the machine were electrodes."What is it?", asked Robin, knowing that whatever it was for, it was _not_ good.

"A little something called Project X", droned Slade, removing the device from Robin's view.

The name sparked something in Robin's memory...

_"What are you working on?", asked Dick casually, eating his breakfast._

_"One of our newer experiements. Project X still has a lot of kinks to work out, but I have a feeling that we're really onto something here."_

_"Project X, huh? Y and Z already taken?", asked Dick, grinning mischievously._

_"Very funny", said Bruce, smiling and turning back to his papers._

"How did you get-"

"Oh, _I_ didn't get it. You did", said Slade, pleased at how successful his little game was turning out to be. And the best part was, it was all true.

"What?", asked Robin, stunned. "I would _never_-"

"But you did, Dick. And, although you did a very poor job of avoiding injury", he said, bringing his foot down on Robin's leg, "you did manage to bring it to me."

Robin's eyes watered as he sceamed, clutching his leg and breathing heavily.

"I'm assuming you are aware of it's purpose?", Slade said, somewhere between a question and a statement. When he saw the confused look on Robin's face, he smiled. "You mean, Wayne didn't tell you? How strange."

Robin glared. No, Bruce hadn't told him any details about Project X, but then again, until just recently, he had hardly even talked to his godfather in a year. Still, he had to admit that Bruce rarely discussed company business with him.

"Well, since you don't seem to know, I suppose I will have to explain", said Slade, in mock exasparation. "Project X gives direct access to a person's memories, experiences, and tendencies. With the help of this device, one can alter them and introduce anything they choose. It is, what most would call, a brain washing device." He paused, allowing time to process the information.

Robin blinked, momentarily shocked. Then everything began to fall into place. "You...it's been you, you've been controlling me somehow...", he mumbled, thinking out loud. "You made me steal Project X for you...Now you're using me as bait for my friends...Once they get here, you're going to..." He broke off, horrified at what he had done, and what was coming next.

"Clever, Robin. You always were. But I'm afraid you just aren't clever enough. You have realized my plan too late. There is nothing you can do to stop me. There never was. You always knew it was going to end this way: you dying, your friends mine forever."

Robin shuddered at the familiar words. He was drawing his friends to their downfall! He had to do something. Painfully, he rolled onto his back, feeling for his communicator. He placed it on the cold, stone floor, pulled out a Birdarang, and slammed it into the small electronic device. He could die here, but he was _not_ letting Slade anywhere near his friends... "But what happens when you're gone?", asked a quiet voice in his head.

Slade, far from being upset, smiled blandly. "A feeble attempt, Robin. Too little, too late", he said coldly, turning to the supercomputer, which was now displaying views from all around the warehouse, several of which showed the titans and Batman fighting off countless robots. Whenever one was defeated, three more took its place. "If you had been unguarded, your friends would have grown suspicious", he said, by way of explanation.

Robin watched as Raven sliced a robot in half with a black tentacle of power, only to be ambushed by two others. "No! Raven!", he screamed, struggling to rise. She groaned as one of them rammed its fist into her stomach. "Stop! Call them off! I'll do anything you ask!", Robin screamed, slamming his fist into the concrete floor.

"I'm afraid you have nothing to bargain with, Dick", said Slade mockingly.

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_Eek, that was a horrible place to stop, wasn't it? There will probably only be one more real chapter, after that it will probably only be an epilogue. Hope you're still enjoying it! Later, -Dusty_


	16. Sacrifice

_I'm baaaack! Yes, this is the last real chapter... -sigh- Good, but sorta sad all the same...who knows, maybe I'm just nuts._

_Estel-Elf-Lover: Thanks!_

_Strixvaria: LOL hey, as long as it's a good comment, it works for me!_

_raeandrob4eva: I know...it was just plain evil :( LOL yeah, sometimes I worry about how well I can get inside Slade's head...kind of a scary thought, really. Aw...Thanks :)_

_CloudsHalo: I know...it's evil, but yes I write them to keep your interest. Whoa...Thanks -blushes-. Yes, yes, here is the climax, the most important part of the story...no pressure, right? LOL! Yeah...I worry about how well I write evil-ness...kinda makes me wonder about my tendencies... Yes it probably does have to do with Trigon, unless Slade just has some kind of fascination with her powers...I wonder how Robin is going to react? LOL yeah I was probably imagining it...he just seemed extra concerned about her...who knows?_

_Aeris-Raven: I know...it was mean to leave you guys hanging like that. I'm sorry...I'm really glad that you like my story so much...but it's definately over. I would hate to drag it out and ruin anything it might have had. YES I will most definately do another Robin story! ROBIN ROCKS, I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE! And you rock for agreeing that Robin rocks :) I'm just about positive that all my stories will be about Robin, whether directly or indirectly...he's my favorite character, it would be hard to write without him._

_nevermoretheraven: Hmm...maybe..._

_Furubafun24: Yes, Slade is an idiot! Let's flush him down a toilet!_

_Umbro Draco: Wow, I'm really glad that you like it! And yes, I've been having fun developing their relationship. Thanks so much for reading!_

_Majestical: Thanks, sorry for ending it, but I will write other stories and I would be honored to continue to hear your input!_

_BrokenWings: Yeah, I've slowly recovered from the frustration of it all. Thanks for reading!_

_Deadweight3: Yeah, I've kinda run 'em through the mill, haven't I:( I'm glad you like it though :)_

_SOVEREIGN LORD OF CHAOS: -Blushes- Thanks :) And yes I count myself lucky for my reviewers' kindness and mercy :) Thanks for reading! I'll be sure to come check out your story!_

_tinkerbellx2: Eek! Three people now have told me that I write Slade very well...What does that say about me? LOL I'm just kidding, I'm glad that he is convincing. Track meet? Cool. I'm not much of an athletic person...Basically if I want excercise, I walk to my friend's house lol. I'm glad you like it :)_

_maroonedpirate11: LMAO! Wow...you need to detox, I think...NO, NOT THE MUFFIN! -cringes in horror- LOL thanks for reading, and sorry for keeping you waiting._

_one of dusty's better friends (not...lol j/k): NO, DO NOT REVEAL MY IDENTITY! LOL yes, its a shocker, isn't it? J. K. Rowling? I think not. Yeah, when I'm rich and famous, I will remember you lol. Yes, you shall be fluffy toes. Yes, you get to read my insane mumblings first...well second. Rusty got first dibs._

_ChubbyBuddy: -Blushes Furiously- Thanks, babe. LOL you had to find something, didn't you? LOL j/k, I really should be more careful about typos...LOL yes, whoever wrote that limerick is EXCEEDINGLY talented. For a second there, I thought the sniffing bit went to the drugs bit...my mistake ;P Did it really take you hours? You must really love me! I'm glad you like it, really really glad actually. Thanks for the review, chubbs!_

_Rinagurl13: Good for you -cheers-...if only I could do as well on my test...they did? How rude! I'm glad I could cheer you up :)_

_AnnFaithDarknessGoddess: Thanks, it took me a while to work out exactly what Project X was, truthfully. Well, it's not over yet...yeah, they are getting thrashed... :( Sorry, I know I surpassed my record for the most horrible cliffhanger on that last chapter. Glad you like it!_

_RavenHairedInsanity: Thanks -blush-...I blush alot, huh? Yeah, I am mean I know it... -Hides Face In Shame- Glad you liked it in spite of my cruelty._

_Darth Nat: -cringe- I wouldn't say he's exactly "insane"... Dang, now that's four people that think I'm a good Slade...er...I write a good Slade...Thanks, I'm glad I've been keeping him in character. Whoa...thanks! I admit that there is hardly any evidence supporting a Raven/Robin relationship, but I don't write it because it is possible, I write it because it's how it would be if I had it my way. Now about the next bit, if I had been sure that you were copying my story, I wouldn't have bothered reviewing and simply reported you. Honestly, copying is not something that I look for on a fanfiction site, but there were certain similarities between your first chapter and mine. I reviewed merely to question those similarities. However, I see now that I have misjudged you, and I appologize. I appreciate your review, and hope that you will keep reading!_

_fairlygodmother: Thanks!_

_Raving Lunatic: Sorry :( ARG, five people total think that I am a good Slade...I'm the good guy, I tell you! LOL j/k. I would have to disagree with you there; I am possitive that Slade is completely insane, just in an intelligent sort of way, not really because he runs around acting like a psycho, just because of what he is willing to do to get his way. No one in their right mind would do the stuff that he has. LOL I don't know how much that will help, but Robin accepts and thanks you for your concern, although he strongly dislikes being referred to as "kid"._

_DarkAngel2004: I'm glad that I cleared up the confusion in my story. Thanks, thanks, and you rock too:)_

_RavenRobin4ever: Sorry...I got the next chapter written as soon as I could._

_Niki Dee: Thanks...yes I am evil, I am aware of this fact. LOL somehow I knew that you would appreciate that ending._

_Dark-Angels-Tears: -blinks...lip quivers- I...I...please don't hurt me!_

_Crazy Girl Person: Thanks :)_

_Lil' Snippet: Aw...wow, is it really that good? I suppose it is, cuz you're not inclined to fibs :) Thanks, man -hugs-_

_Ok then, I guess we should get on with the story now...Why are you all staring at me? -whistles-...OOOOH you want me to continue the story? Ok then :) _

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The robots surrounded them, an army of Slades, shooting, kicking, and punching. The Titans were fighting like mad, but regardless of their efforts, they were slowly getting pushed back.

Batman could see that they would never get to Robin in time if someone didn't manage to sneak through. Painful images flashed before his eyes...He was not going to lose him. Not today.

He fought his way over to Raven. She had been fighting fiercely, taking out almost as many robots as he did, but he could see that she was exhausted. "Raven! Get the Titans together, try to fight your way through. You have to get to Robin, do you hear me?" he yelled, smashing his fist through the "stomach" of an attacking robot.

"What about you?" she shouted back, disassembling a robot with her power.

"Forget about me! Find Robin, get him out of here, no matter what he says! GO!" He pushed her lightly towards the entrance.

Raven gave him one last glance, a strange look in her deep purple eyes. Then she started fighting her way through to her fellow Titans, shouting the plan over the roar of battle. Grouping together was difficult, but they managed it. The Teen Titans, minus one, punched, kicked, and blasted their way through Slade's army, moving as a single entity. Batman did his best to reduce the amount of obstacles in their way, fighting like one possessed. He watched them disappear into the building, bruised, battered, and exhausted. Four teenagers didn't stand much of a chance against Slade, one of the most vicious criminal masterminds he had ever had the misfortune to meet. Anger burned inside him, blocking out everything else. The coward! This fight was between him and Slade...Robin was only targeted because of the connection between them. The lowly worm had hoped to get to him through Robin, weakening his defenses and making him easier to destroy. He growled low, crushing two robots at once...They were wasting his time...He had to get to Dick... "I'd love to stay and chat," he grunted, hitting a robot with a powerful spinning kick, "but I have somewhere to be."

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Slade stood before the screens, watching the battle with a smile on his face. He was quite amazed at how well everything was going. The pieces were moving in a pre-destined path, the ending of which could only be destruction.

"Please...you can have me, just don't hurt Ra...my friends," whispered Robin, his eyes glued to the screen.

"Begging? Have you really sunk that low, Robin?" asked Slade casually.

Robin was torn between concern for his friends and the hatred he felt burning in his chest. "Do what you want with me, just Leave Them Alone!" he spat through gritted teeth.

Slade chuckled. "I don't need permission to do what I like with you. I never have. You belong to me, Dick," he said, as though it was the simplest concept in the world.

"_Don't_ call me that." Bruce called him Dick...His parents had called him Dick...

A sudden anger flared in Slade. With lightning speed, he leapt at Robin, kicking him in the chest and sending him flying into the wall. "When will you learn, _Dick_?", he asked, raising his voice to be heard over Robin's screams of pain. "_I_ am your master._ I_ give the orders, not you. _You_ exist to serve me." To emphasize his point, Slade drew back his fist with every intention of hitting the boy as hard as possible. Robin braced himself...but the blow never fell.

A boulder jumped up of its own accord and threw itself at the masked Satan-worshiper, knocking half-way across the factory. "Touch him again. I dare you," Raven challenged, a quiet threat darkening her tone.

Robin's heart nearly stopped when he saw her standing in the doorway, one eye swollen shut, a long cut across her cheek, and her cloak in tatters. He tried to stand, but his limbs just wouldn't move. He ached at the thought of what he had done and what would happen to them. Knowing that she wouldn't listen to him, Robin shouted, "No! Get out of here!"

"Oh, ok. We're just going to turn around and leave you to him." Raven now understood Batman's warning; Robin was stubborn to the death. She was relieved to hear his voice all the same; even though things were far from good, she had feared much worse.

By this time, Slade had recovered from his unexpected present. "So, you've finally arrived. I expected you to finish much sooner, what with the help of your flying friend. No matter. Let us proceed." With these words, four large androids stepped from the shadows, each approaching one of the brave teenagers. Robin yelled a warning, but too late; the androids clamped his friends in their unforgiving iron grip. "No need to worry. The procedure will be painless...I think." Slade advanced on the Titans, each step deliberately slow.

Robin grabbed a Birdarang from his belt, trying to aim as the room spun and shifted. He threw it as hard as he could, praying that somehow it would find its target.

Slade smiled, turning slowly when he heard the whiz of the flying missile. It fell short and five feet off target. "Don't interrupt, Robin. I'm in the middle of something very important," he said condescendingly.

"Don't...leave them...go..." Robin gasped, trying to think through the pain.

Slade ignored him as though he was a disobediant toddler. "I don't suppose any of you have ever seen this?" he asked, turning back to the Titans and holding up Project X. Their eyes followed the device apprehensively; what new horrors did Slade have in store for them?

"Well if you're so eager to hear about it, why don't you ask Robin?" Slade said maliciously.

A weight dropped on Robin's chest at Slade's words. He couldn't really see them in the dim light of the warehouse, but he could feel their accusatory glares burning into him.

"What are you talking about?" grunted Cyborg, struggling against his robot captor.

"Why don't you tell them, Robin? They have a right to hear it from you," said Slade mockingly.

Robin's eyes were fixed on the ground. Since he wouldn't talk, Slade decided to do it for him. "Dick was kind enough to borrow this from Wayne Enterprises for me. It is, in simple terms, a brain washing device."

Beast Boy was the first to speak. "Borrowed? Dude, you've been stealing for Slade!" he yelled, glaring at Robin.

"Dick?" Raven's voice was no more than a whisper. Robin ducked his head in shame.

"What's this? He never told you his name? I thought you were his friends."

Robin couldn't bear to face them, but he could still feel Raven's eyes, silently asking why.

"No matter. I think we have wasted enough time with explanations." Slade moved towards Raven, his cold gray eye boring into her. "Let's have a look inside your mind, shall we?" He was barely a foot from her now, and try as she might to escape, the robot held her fast...

"Master!"

Slade turned slowly, utterly shocked.

"Let me do it! I'll do it for you!" Robin was struggling to keep the panic out of his voice.

"Why the sudden change of heart?", asked Slade suspiciously, completely oblivious to what was occuring behind him.

From the moment Robin had spoken, Raven knew what he was doing. The second Slade turned his back, she used her power to seemingly melt into her robot captor. She reappeared in the shadows behind her fellow titans, awaiting Robin's signal.

"I've realized how wrong I was. You've been right all along." Robin was fighting for breath, daunted at all the ways his plan could backfire...but this was the only way to save them. He had to, he knew he had to...but all the same, there were so many feelings unshared, so many words unspoken. Thinking of her, he almost lost his nerve. They could have been so happy together, a whole lifetime spent with eachother stretching out into the infinite spaces of time...now there was no time at all. Why hadn't he told her while he still had the chance? Her image burst clearly before his eyes, burning into him, making him ache with longing. He would carry her with him into the empty spaces of death...this thought provided some small comfort. Robin managed to smile bravely, despite the agony of loss in his heart. He was the one losing, not they...not her. They would go on with their lives, existing just as they had while he was laughing and fighting there with them. _"She won't miss me."_ The thought brought an icy wave crashing through him. _"How can you miss someone you never knew?"_

Slade listened, motionless, as Robin continued to ramble on with his plastic flattery. He could tell by the way Robin was tensed and the slightly higher pitch to his voice that he was planning something. Slade smiled, eager to see his weak attempts to win, and his miserable defeat. The boy could not possibly pose a threat now, and his friends were secured. He could afford to have some fun. "I stand corrected, Dick. You are not as stupid as I thought. Perhaps, one day, your worhless, pathetic-"

Robin's hand, which had been inching towards his belt, grabbed the cold, metal object...such a small device to contain such massive destruction...

His entire life had been building up to this moment, this decision...This was his chance to redeem himself, to make it up to them...He was doing this for her. "Raven, NOW!" he yelled, throwing the bomb before he could lose his nerve. It spiraled through space and time, agonizingly slowly, as though to make him suffer as long as possible...There, the shield was up, they were safe. Robin smiled slightly, his last thoughts of his teammates, his friends...they would never know how much he cared about each of them...

Robin curled in on himself, even though he knew there was no chance of survival. There was no way out this time, there was no back up plan, no one was coming... _"Raven...I'm sorry..."_

He would never know if she heard him...

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Raven hunched down in the shadows, hardly daring to breathe lest she be detected. She was trusting in Robin's ability to pull an extremely dangerous but amazingly possible plan out of thin air, and hopefully save them from defeat or worse. This was the first time since entering the warehouse that she had been able to get a good look at him...what she saw made her stomach heave. How was he managing to stay conscious? His voice was shaking with barely suppressed fear, though she knew it was not himself he was worrying about.

Raven's fists clenched at the sound of Slade's icy voice. She was restraining herself with all her might, barely stopping her power from lashing out at the miserable excuse for a human being standing so smugly before her. _"No!" _she told herself_. "Wait for his signal...you could get him killed if you don't maintain control!"_

"Raven, NOW!", he yelled, throwing the bomb into the air. She knew what that command meant; how many times had he made them practice it? Robin threw the bomb, the Titans grouped together, and Raven produced a protective energy shield to save them from the explosion. They all could have done it in their sleep.

Raven stared through the black sheild, watching the bomb spiral through the air...Something was wrong...What was missing? Her mind froze over as her eyes came to rest on the thing that she had forgotten. "Robin!", she screamed, ready to disable the shield and run to him...This wasn't going to happen! He was right there in front of her! All she had to do was reach out and grab him, pull him to her, make everything all right...

Tears streamed unchecked from her amethyst eyes. The shield remained intact, the bomb continued its fateful journey through the stale, musty air of the warehouse, giving no thought to the lives it was tearing asunder with every inch of space it covered, with every second that ticked by... He had given the order, he knew she wouldn't be able to save him and the team, he had sacrificed his own life for theirs, for hers... "Damn it, Robin!" Raven choked on the words, sobbing and shaking, looking at the boy she loved for the last time...

_"Raven...I'm sorry..."_

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Batman was toned and trained to perfection, able to endure incredible pain, pressure, and fatigue without so much as blinking. All that aside, Slade's welcoming commity had sapped a good chunk of his energy. When all of Slade's minions were scrap metal on the ground, he ran for the entrance that the Titans had passed through what felt like hours ago. Batman knew enough about Slade to take a guess at how much could happen in that amount of time...But then again, Dick could have been dead before they even got there...Bruce tried not to let himself consider that possibility. After all, Robin was a highly skilled opponent-- Batman frowned. There was no way that Dick could fight inhis currentcondition...

Batman stood in the doorway, frozen in time as he struggled to understand what was happening. Robin was collapsed on the ground, Slade standing over him, and there were the Titans, surrounded by Raven's dark energy. A glint of metal caught his eye...and then it all fell into place.

He swore loudly, racing into the room, panic threatening to overwhelm him...In seconds Boy Wonder was off the ground and in Batman's arms...Bruce had no promise of time before detonation; every second could easily be their last...

The bomb decided that it had waited long enough, and with not so much as a warning, it exploded, sending a devestating blast through the entire building, shattering glass and snapping wooden planks. Halfway up the hallway, Batman was lifted off his feet and slammed into the door at the end of the hall with incredible force. He sank to the ground, Robin held protectively in his arms, too dazed to think or move...

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A silence more deafening than the blast before itsettled over what was left of the warehouse. Chunks of roof had caved in, letting the light of the full moon and the chill of the night air inside. Dust mites sparkled in the air, and a few flames licked at the piles of rubble.

The unnatural quiet was broken harshly by Raven's desperate cries. "Robin?"

She raced up the hallway where she had seen them disappear, hoping, praying...

"No..." Batman's dark cloak was unmistakable, but there was no movement beneath it. Raven knelt beside it, reaching out a hand...She jumped as the black lump groaned, moving slightly.

Batman slowly got to his feet, rubbing his throbbing head. "Well, that could have gone a lot better, but then again, it could have gone a lot worse, too." He groaned quietly when he caught sight of what, or rather, who he had been lying on. He knelt down and gently turned Robin over, taking his wrist, which was bent at a very odd angle, and feeling for a pulse...

He let out a gust of breath, looking up at Raven with a small smile.

"He's...he's all...?" Batman nodded.

Raven's knees gave out, and she collapsed next to him, sobbing in relief, deaf to the violent explosions caused by her wildly powerful emotions. She gently took his face in her hands, kissing his forehead as tears streamed down her face. _He was alive._

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_Wow...the climax...it's...written! Never thought I would actually finish a story...guess that just goes to show you should never say never. Maybe you noticed that Robin was horribly close to death? Well, that is because, until just recently, that was the plan. Evil, yes. Heartless, sure. But that was going to be the end. Thanks to a good friend of mine Robin is alive and well...er...well, he is alive, this very day, and I am much happier with the ending she helped me concoct than the one I thought up on my own. Much thanks to her._

_Now, I promised you an epilogue, and an epilogue there shall be, in fact, it is partly written already! If you have any questions about the story that have yet to be answered, speak now or forever hold your peace! I will answer all questions from reviewers in the beginning of the epilogue, so ask away!_

_One more thing: it has come to my attention that Robin's parents were killed during a trapeze act, not a tightrope act. Please forgive me my ignorance. Also, apparently, the "paddles" used in hospitals are not designed to start a heart that has already stopped, but to stop an irregular heartbeat. The heart is then started again by using CPR I believe...once again, forgive me my ignorance. Other than that, I appologize for any errors in my writing...I really am not stupid, simply not the best typer._

_Since this is not quite the ending, it is also not quite good bye, so I'll save that for the epilogue. Peace! Dusty_


	17. All Wounds Heal

_Yes, it is the epilogue...the end...the box is empty, so don't bother feeling around in the bottom. That is not to say that there won't be other boxes with different contents to snatch up...Yes I know I am incredibly strange._

_Rinagurl13: -Blush- Thank you. I just want to say thanks so much for your time and your reviews...it has meant alot to me, and I hope I will continue to hear your feedback on future stories._

_izzy6392: I'm glad you liked it, but it is definately over. I will write other stories, though...Feel free to check them out. LOL :)_

_Raving-Lunatic: LOL yes it was mean...I just love tugging your guys' strings...LOL not really. -Steps back respectfully- Although I have a somewhat first hand look at insanity, I don't pretend to be an expert, so you are probably right about Sir Slade...I agree that Slade is not your typical petty criminal...he is more what you would call a criminal mastermind really...Well, I'm glad that I did him justice. LOL! Robin: -sticks out tongue- Now snerk is one I have never heard before...interesting._

_Furubafun24: I'm glad you liked it, I was hoping that the climax would be good. I did my best, and yeah I wanted to have a very emotional roller coaster feel to it, so I hope that is what I acheived. Thank you so much for all the reviews you have submitted to this story, they mean alot to me. Oh and I can't wait for Chapter 4 of Never Alone...I love that story!_

_raeandrob4eva: I know, I really like the song too...I thought it fit. -Blush- Yeah my friend has been reading the reviews for chapter 16 and giggling smuggly...LOL! Thanks for all your reviews, they have meant alot to me :)_

_CloudsHalo: -Blush- Did you sustain any injuries? Lol just teasing. Wow, thanks so much....I'm glad it was good. -Laughs nervously- Uh...I'm afraid...there is romance in this epilogue...sorry. I talk a bit about Slade in the epilogue, but not much. Since I promised to answer all questions, I will do so. What happened to Slade? I honestly don't know for sure...He could very well be dead, and very dead at that, but he could also have figured out some way to stay alive, being the cunning little devil that he is. I suppose that, some day, I might get up the energy to write a sequel, and if I do I will decide what happened to him. Those questions will be answered in just a bit...BB...he will probably have a hard time with Robin from now on...He still doesn't quite believe that Robin was being controlled and not just doing it of his own free will...This could come from the fact that BB is bitter about Raven and Robin to some extent. LOL Cyborg will NEVER like tofu! Yes I plan on writing more stories, and I would be glad to get your input on them when they come to me. _

_kiddette: Proposition? Ok, shoot. _

_jambey: sniggles Yeah...that was the effect I was aiming for. I'm glad you liked the Ray/Rob stuff...I don't usually like super gushy things, so I've tried to keep it to a fairly decent level...and not all at once, like you said. Yeah, I have made BB pretty mean in this...I was going off of the way he acted in the episodes "Haunted" and "Masks"...He seems to have some issues with Robin, but then again that's just my opinion. Yeah I felt kinda sorry for Starfire too, even though I don't like her very much. -Blush- Thank you! :)_

_Bobbiann116: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. Chapter 16 wasn't "the end", technically. Sorry if you didn't like the way the chapter ended._

_Fugitive: I'm glad you liked it, and I hope you like the epilogue as well. I'm glad that Robin didn't die, too!_

_maroonedpirate11: Sorry for scaring you...but then again, that was the point...Hmm...Yeah, my good friend is a hero! Yay I like muffins :)_

_Unicorns-baby: Yeah, my friend is pretty darn awesome...Glad you liked it. Ok, your first question....She was shocked, and, even though it didn't seem like it, they only had about 5 seconds between when he threw it and when it detonated (like in Aftershock, pt 2), and what with her raging emotions, it was all she could do to keep the shield in tact; trying to extend her power or anything of that sort could have gotten them all killed. Next question: some of the memories were from that time, otherswere from days before the Titans,(I mean, we'd be crazy if we thought that Robin didn't get himself into trouble even back then) and some was just imagining what could be happening. He bashed into the door, still holding Robin, and fell to the ground, therefore, landing on top of him, since he was in his arms. would be a problem, since I can't email...Yes I will definately write more stories. Lol you will soon see :)_

_AnnFaithDarknessGoddess: -Bows- Thank you. Robin, at that moment, didn't really think that much of his life or himself, but giving it up was still hard. He cares about his friends, he cares about Raven, and that is why he gave his life. Um...Giving up your life for another could hardly be called inconsiderate...It was a split second decision, no time to tell anyone his plan, and Slade was standing right there. Besides, if he had told her, she wouldn't have put up the shield and they all probably would have died in the chaos. Uh...I don't think that giving up your life for people you care about makes you a jerk...Glad you liked the chapter in spite of your frustration lol. Yes he did give her quite a scare...I by no means meant to say that I didn't feel horrible that Raven had to go through that...it would suck beyond description. _

_chiclet2021: Thanks! :)_

_Lil' Snippet: Thanks :) You never had what? I am confused._

_samisweet: Thanks, sami! You truly are sweet! LOL...forgive my corniness. I'm really glad that you liked it :)_

_nevermoretheraven: Yeah..._

_Umbro Draco: I felt like crying while I was writing it... I know what you mean about wanting to but it just not happening...it's kinda strange. Thank you :) I know what you mean, I am always super depressed after finishing a really good book :( kinda like leaving behind a best friend...I'm honored that you liked my story that much :) Epilogue is, sadly, notmuch longer thanmost of the chapters...I might write a sequel some day, but I don't have any ideas for one right off the top of my head, so I'll just have to see if any come to me. I would love to keep getting your input on my future stories! I'm really glad you liked it!_

_tinkerbellx2: Yeah...I'm glad I didn't kill him to. That's why I got stuck on...chapter 14 I think it was, I just didn't want to do that ending but couldn't think of any other. So yeah I was super happy when my friend helped me think up this one. Yeah, Robin is way cooler alive :) Don't worry about it, I understand school issues....ugh, right now we have science fair, 10 pg. research paper, poem for the Ed fair, and a talk in front of the entire school coming up!!! I am on the verge of an emotional break down, so if you dont' see any more writing from me for a while, that is why. When I do write, though, I am sure it will be ray/rob :)_

_Umbro Draco: It's cool...I understand computer issues, trust me :(_

_Dark-Angels-Tears: ::hugs back:: :) Glad you liked it! It's Yellowcard, like Only One and Ocean Avenue and Gifts and Curses...They rock!_

_frosty1567: Thanks, man! :) _

_SOVEREIGN LORD OF CHAOS: Yay! I'm glad you liked it :) Ok, I will forgive your chapter one, but when I read it it seemed just fine...OH yeah, I am gonna ROCK AND ROLL!!! ...er....sorry for that outburst._

_DarkAngel2004: Yeah it was pretty sad...Here is the epilogue :) and yeah, YELLOWCARD ROCKS!!!_

_Niki Dee: Thanks...Somehow when I pictured Batman fightiing off an endless army of robots, he looked somewhat possessed lol. Yes, yes you do. Yes, I did stop at an odd spot...glad you liked it though. 'Tis a cool song...you will have to listen to it sometime. LOL yeah I was being mean...wanted to draw out the suspense and torture my readers :) -grows horns-. Yes, yes there shall be an epilogue. Nay, twas the friend that goes by Rusty._

_Ok, so here it goes....the last leg...-breaks down in hysterical sobs- LOL j/k...but I do need to write another story...I feel sort of off if I'm not working on some story or other. For the last time (in this story) ON WITH THE STORY!!! (wow in one paragraph I said "story" 4 times...five! lol!)_

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**_-About one week later-_**

"Beast Boy?", asked Starfire timidly.

BB looked up from his tofu. "Yeah?"

"I was wondering if..." Star breathed in deeply. "We might engage in the boisterous Station Game? Conceivably, it could be enjoyable...I promise to pay detailed attention to the flashing lights and multicolored buttons!", she said, very fast.

Beast Boy blinked, trying to comprehend what Starfire had said. He stared straight ahead, a look of pain on his face...Then the light bulb clicked on. "Oh! You wanna play Game Station?"

Starfire smiled and nodded. She had been very lonely lately; losing a best friend, and perhaps more, was a foreign and painful experience for the young alien. She had given up on Robin, though she didn't like to admit it, and was now quite unsure of what to make of her life without him. Robin would not talk to her anymore, at least, not the way he talked to Raven... Star could see that there was...affection between Robin and her dark friend, and, because she cared aboutboth of them, she did her best to accept this fact with a smile. In all honesty, Robin was not the person she had loved so well. He was not the kind, protecting friend she had so oftenturned to in time of need...Not anymore.

"Star? Which game do you want to play? Super Smash Brothers or Soul Calibur II?", Beast Boy asked kindly, not too blind to see the pain in her emerald eyes.

Star snapped out of her trance. Taking acautious look at the covers of the games, she picked the one that looked less sinister.

BB shrugged in acceptance, and popped the disc into the gaming system, handing Star her paddle. "Now, for simple punch and kick attacks, use the "A" button, right there. And for special attacks, use your "C" stick, the yellow..."

Beast Boy went on like that for quite a while, and Starfire did her best to listen and comprehend his instructions, but her mind wandered...She knew that her heart would never truly leave Robin. She would never stop loving, never stop waiting...She would always be there. Always. All he had to do was call.

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The steady beep of the heart moniter, the gentle rise and fall of his chest...

Raven sighed contentedly, watching Robin sleep. She had been doing that alot lately; somehow, she felt a constant need to be near him, to make sure he was all right, even to protect him. As long as she could see him breathing, everything stayed together. If the events of the past month had taught her anything, it was just how much she needed him. Without him, she was broken, empty, a shadow of herself... "I love him", she thought, gently stroking his hand. Why had she been so afraid to admit it?

She snapped out of her daze as Robin's hand moved under hers. He was mumbling in his sleep, turning his head from side to side as his heartrate increased. Raven frowned, worry darkening her purple eyes. Robin was no longer under Slade's control, thanks to Batman's discovery of the nanoscopic probes that had taken up residence in his bloodstream, not to mention the chemicals...Yet, Robin's nightmares were just as bad as before, if not worse. Once, out of curiousity and an overpowering desire to help him, she had entered his mind during one of his many nightmares, wondering what horrors were conjured up to torture him during the rare moments when his defenses were down...and she had thought that her mind was troubled! Robin's had been a world of puzzles and mysteries, but some things were evident at all turns...Pain. Loss. Hatred. Revenge. Self-Loathing. Raven shuddered at the thought...The things she had seen....What would she do if she was forced to watch that every night? One thing she knew for certain: she would _never_ repeat that experience. She could help him as much as he would let her from the outside, but the internal battle could only be fought by Robin.

"No...no...Slade, stop...leave her..." Robin's heartrate sped up, making the moniter beep franticly. Raven leaned over him, laying a hand on his forehead...

The second Robin had woken up, just under four days ago, he had interrogated all of them about Slade and what had happened. The Titans had searched the remains of the warehouse for hours after the bomb was detonated, but all they ever found was the shards of Slade's black and bronze mask. Despite this fact, they had all tried to convince Robin that Slade was finally dead, but Raven knew he didn't believe it. Slade could never be dead enough to compensate for all the pain and destruction he had caused. Those things would never just go away, they would always be there to haunt him, try as he might to escape.

"Robin? Robin, wake up!" She shook his shoulder gently, careful not to hurt him.

Robin woke with a gasp, reaching out and grabbing Raven's wrist in an iron grip. "SLADE! YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF...." His voice died away as the room came into focus. He relaxed his grip on her hand, falling back on the pillow and breathing hard. There was an awkward silence, both of them avoiding each other's eyes.

"So...do you want to talk about it? Sometimes it helps...", Raven suggested cautiously.

Robin shuddered involuntarily, looking at Raven but not really seeing her. "I can't do it."

The empty sound in his voice made Raven look searchingly at him, though she couldn't gather much from his masked eyes. "You can't do what?", she asked gently.

"I can't...I can't be what y-- what this team needs. Not anymore." Robin averted his eyes, fidgeting with the stiff, white hospital sheet.

Raven frowned. She had been expecting, dreading, this. "What are you talking about?"

"I failed you, I failed the team. I'm no leader. I'm a coward, a loser. That's why I'm leaving", Robin continued, in that same emotionally dead tone.

Raven was shocked. Robin? Leaving? Robin was the thing that kept this team together! "No, Robin. You didn't fail us. Slade is the one to blame, not you. You didn't know what you were doing."

Robin cringed at the sound of Slade's name, and his mouth twisted in a grimace. As much as he wanted to believe her, he couldn't. "I couldn't stop him. I...I wasn't good enough. I'll never be good enough. I'm weak." His voice broke, shaking with disgustas he clenched his fists and stared up at the ceiling.

Was that really what he thought? Robin, Boy Wonder, fearless leader of the Teen Titans, was suffering from self doubt! It never ceased to amaze her, just how much he could conceal from the world behind that blank white stare. They had gone about their lives, never knowing, never stopping to ask why, and he had let them continue in their ignorance, keeping all the words he couldn't say bottled up behind that mask. But such a life has its flaws. The dam can only take so much pressure, and when it has reached its limit, the boundary will burst, spilling the secret thoughts and feelings, doubts and fears, love and hate, for all to see. Raven had seen the dam break. "What are you so afraid of, Robin?", Raven asked, gentle but firm.

The question took him by surprise. "I'm afraid of losing y-" Robin stopped, horrified. "Losing. I'm afraid of losing." No one would argue with that statement...hopefully.

Raven's eyebrow shot up. "What was that?"

Robin turned a brilliant shade of scarlet. "I..."

"You were going to say something else. What was it? Don't make me read your mind", Raven persisted, a tiny smile on her pale lips.

Robin couldn't seem to find a safe place to look. Raven's face was everywhere, lips quirked playfully. She wanted him to tell her, but what would she say if he did? "I...I was going to say that..." He gulped, trying to catch his breath.

"Yes?"

Robintook a deep breath. He remembered the horrible pang of regret and loss that filled him when he thought there was no time left...What good would that realization be if he never learned from it? It was now or never. "I'm afraid of...losing you", Robin whispered, looking down at his hands, cheeks burning. "Back at the warehouse, I thought...I couldn't bear to see you...when I thought of what Slade..." He fell silent, looking away and blinking rapidly. "I can't lose you, Raven."

Raven blinked once, twice, three times. She wanted to say something, but it seemed she had lost the power of speech. "But...Starfire...", she choked out.

"What? What about Star?"

"Well...I thought..."

"No, Raven. You." Robin avoided her eyes, unsure of how she would react. He couldn't recall a time when he had felt more things all at once then he did now.

"I...I don't know what to say. So, all along...?" Raven was fighting to grasp this strange new piece in the Robin puzzle. She knew that she had feelings for him, but she had never dared to hope that they were mutual.

"Yeah...All along...", Robin mumbled. Suddenly, his courage evaporated, disappearing faster than a popsicle on the Fourth of July. "I'm sorry, it was stupid, just...forget i said anything." _"You idiot! She could never feel that way about you!"_

"No, I...I'm glad that you...What I mean is...I feel the same." Color flooded Raven's normally pale cheeks. What now?

Robin stared at her, struck dumb. _"She...does? How could she feel the same..."_ But his pointless questions couldn't keep the wave of happiness back for long. He laughed nervously, not knowing what else to do. "Uh...well, now that we have that worked out..."

Raven laughed quietly, happy to see him smile again; she was beginning to wonder if she ever would. But still, something was gnawing on her heart...She wanted him to trust her, she needed him to trust her. "Robin?"

"Yeah?" There was a slightly apprehensive tone in his voice. His momentary happiness deflated, replaced with a sense of dread. He had a feeling that things were about to get messy and uncomfortable.

"What really happened? Why wouldn't you talk to me? Why wouldn't you let me help you? Why do you have to be so stubborn?" Frustration leaked out in her voice, try as she might to suppress it. Robin had not been the easiest person to deal with lately.

Robin sighed, lifting his good arm and rubbing his forehead. "Those questions are all attached to very long, complicated answers. I'm not even sure if I know some of them." He paused, studying her expression, which told him nothing. "Are you sure you want to know?"

Raven couldn't stop her eyes from rolling in exasperation. She was reminded of one of Beast Boy's favorite words, "duh". It would have fit perfectly in this situation. "Yes, Robin. I'm sure."

Robin smiled. Now that was more like Raven. "No need to get hostile." His smile widened.

"Don't push your luck, Wonder Boy." Raven glared, but she really wasn't angry at all.

He held up his hand in a "white flag" gesture. "Ok, ok. What happened? I'm sure you know a lot more about that than I do. What I do know has been cobbled together from what...Slade told me and the bits and pieces that Beast Boy let slip." He paused, twisting the sheet around his finger with a pained expression. "I guess you were...pretty freaked out, right?"

Raven weighed the possible answers carefully before responding. "I was " She frowned as she remembered sending Robin to the asylum...and the way he had yelled at her... "I just wanted to get you the help you needed. I never meant--"

Robin reached out and took her hand, stopping her. "I know. I...I'm sorry for anything I said." It was horrible, wondering what he had said and done, what memories were causing Raven such obvious pain...for him, it was all a blur. "It wasn't your fault. You were trying to help, and I spit in your face." A look of disgust wrinkled his brow. After a long pause, he said, "Why didn't I just talk to you? I thought I could handle it myself. There was no reason to involve you or anyone else in my problems. I wouldn't admit that I...needed help. It had nothing to do with you, and everything to do with me." He fell silent, wondering why he was telling her all this. He couldn't remember the last time he had talked this much to someone else. Something about Raven made him want to confide in her, to trust her. Somehow he knew that she would listen. He knew that she cared. "The answer to your next question is just about the same." Robin suddenly laughed quietly. "Why am I so stubborn? You'd have to ask Batman about that."

Raven smiled. "Oh, sure. Blame it on your mentor."

Robin laughed, but quickly sobered again. "There's...a lot that I haven't told you. There's a lot that I haven't told anyone, except Br-Batman." He hurried on to cover up his slip. "Do you remember when...Slade called me Dick?"

Raven nodded. She hadn't been able to forget it. "Is that your-?"

"Not exactly. My name's Richard." Robin grimaced. "Richard Grayson...I prefer Dick."

"Hmm...I would've never thought of you as a Richard. It's sort of arrogant and stuffy..."

Robin pulled a face. "Yeah, yeah I know. So why don't you just call me Robin, just like before, ok?"

"All right, except on special occasions", Raven teased, eyes sparkling with mischief.Her playfullness diedwhen she saw the look on Robin's face. She watched him silently, knowing there was more.

"When I was eight, my parents....they were killed." _"Why am I telling her this? I can just shut up right now..."_ "I...I couldn't save them...I tried...I think in some ways I'm still trying." Robin choked, fighting to maintain control. "Mom used to call me Robin...that's why..." His voice was shaking too much for speech. Why was he torturing himself? Why did he have to break open old wounds?

Raven was speechless. The pain was so strong, so forceful, its taint running deeper than even she could know. How could he keep it inside, letting it eat him away until there was nothing left... She wiped a tear from her cheek as he did the same. Without thinking, she leaned forward, brushing a stray lock of black hair off his forehead and slowly bringing her face toward his. She suddenly had a strong desire to see his eyes, rather than the intimidating white of his mask. Before he could protest, it was off and carelessly dropped to the floor. His clear hazel eyes widened in surprise, but then they met Raven's royal purple ones...

Her eyes told of courage, love, and bravery...but there was also weakness, fear, loneliness...Robin couldn't bear to see the pain reflected in her eyes; he would chase it away, comfort her, make sure she was never alone again...

Raven inwardly flinched. His eyes were cold, empty, as though they had seen too much for their youthful age. There was a child-like fear there too, barely detectable, buried by more powerful emotions: hate, anger, vengeance; a cold fire burning in the blues, greens, and grays... Raven frowned, reaching out a hand to touch his cheek tenderly... He smiled, and the change in his eyes was miraculous: the fire was suppressed until it was barely noticable, the cold fear was chased away as warm affection breached it, a beacon in the dark of night. She was that beacon. His eyes promised her protection, love, trust...They said that he would always be there.

Robin leaned forward, closing the distance between them in a gentle kiss, his hand stroking her cheek tenderly...They were gone from the cold, heartless room, gone from the tower, gone from cruel reality...In a place where there was only two...Heaven... Bliss...

In time, all wounds heal. All hearts can be mended. It is never too late.

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_The End! Hope you liked it...if not, well, I'm sorry you wasted your time. It is goodbye for now, but I hope to see some, or all, of you when I right my next story! Until then, I remain.... -Dusty_


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